Child of the Prophecy
by YoungestCullen8
Summary: Dahlia suddenly finds herself in Neverland. Felix wants her gone. Peter agrees but the Lost Boys begin to like her. He knows she can't stay but wants her to nonetheless. Story coincides with the show in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Falling. She felt as if she was falling. Her dreams had never been this vivid before. Most of the time she didn't remember them. They were too vague to remember. Every now and then she caught glimpses but not enough to put the puzzle together. This time she remembered, which was miracle in and of itself.

She had been out dancing with her friends, having fun at a Disney themed party. They'd had too many nights where they'd done things like this. Their conversations ranged from childish fantasies to more adult themes. They were barely eighteen but they were there. So their conversation at the party had been on the childish side as they discussed their favorite Disney movies. That had been a long conversation considering there were six of them.

After the party had dispersed, she had gone home and cleaned off all the makeup from the costume. She had gone as Jasmine considering she had the exotic look down. Her black hair fell way past her shoulders and her eyes were a peculiar shade of grey. Everyone thought she was from the Middle East but she wasn't. Her parents might have been but she didn't remember. They had died when she was ten.

After cleaning up and putting her costume away, she had gotten ready for bed. It had called to her even as she had been dancing to "Beauty and the Beast". She had fallen asleep almost immediately, perfectly happy to let sleep claim her. Then she was falling.

She landed in a heap on the ground, scratching her knees and elbows. She jumped up and looked around. This was not Chicago. She turned in a circle to see if she could find a way out. Surrounded by foliage, she saw only one path and she was standing on it. She looked one way then the other. There was nothing that could tell her where she was.

A wind caught the leaves, making them rustle. She shivered. She was in shorts and a tank top because she had been in a warm apartment in her warm bed. Now she was in the middle of the woods freezing her tail off. Plus she was barefoot. She had to find a place to get warm. If not, hypothermia would set in then she would really be screwed.

She started down the path, hyper aware that things would be living in the woods. She moved as quickly as possible. Not knowing a place made a person paranoid. She also had nothing to defend herself with. She had taken fencing in high school and had excelled at it. She kept it up even after the class had ended. There was nothing here for her to do anything.

She was about a quarter of a mile from where she had started when movement to her left made her stop. Those weren't animal footfalls. No, far from it. They were human, or semblance of human. She stopped, knowing that was the last thing she needed to do. Fear was kicking in. She didn't know what else to do.

More footfalls followed the others. The bushes started to rattle. She could hear whooping. The voices were male. There were at least six of them, maybe more. She had no idea because all of a sudden the sounds merged into one loud one.

The bushes to her immediate left erupted. She bit back a scream, knowing there was a possibility it would only entice them more. When she turned to face her stalker, she came face to face with a tall boy. His face was covered by his hood but she could see his eyes. They were cold but filled with something else.

"Look, boys, a woman," he said as he walked around her. She didn't follow his path, but she could feel his breath on her neck. "How the hell did you get here?"

"I would tell you but I don't know what here is," she replied.

The boy smiled. "What's your name?"

"Dahlia."

"Hello, Dahlia. We haven't had a woman here since Wendy."

"What do you want from me?"

"We want to know how you got here."

"I don't know how I got here. One minute I'm asleep in my bed and the next I'm here. I can't tell you anything other than that."

Felix stopped in front of her, his face close to hers that she could feel his breath once again. "I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want. It's the truth."

He laughed. "Boys."

He stepped back as the boys with him surrounded her. They all started talking at once and poking at her with fingers, arrows, spears, and sticks. She held still and let them do as they wished. If they were going to do anything to her, they would have done it by now. She couldn't fight all of them if she wanted to live and get back home.

Her eyes met Felix's. He seemed pleased with himself. He thought that he could get her to talk. She was good at keeping secrets. There was no way she was going to say anything to him. She had no idea how she had gotten there so there was nothing she could tell him. To get his face out of her head, she closed her eyes.

"That's enough."

Her eyes snapped open and she looked up at the newcomer. He was young but older than some of the boys. He had sandy blond hair and bluish eyes. She stared at him as she tried to place him. He wasn't wearing a cloak like the rest of them. Then again he didn't need it. He exuded strength. No one was going to mess with him.

"What are you doing? What have I told you about antagonizing our guests," he said as he walked by Felix.

"It's a girl. She just dropped in on us," Felix replied.

The boss of these boys waved his hand and they backpedaled. He walked up to her. Dahlia dropped her gaze to stare at his feet. He was dressed like them, in light and dark greens. He had a flute dangling from his right hip. She wracked her brain as she tried to figure out where she had heard something like this.

"What's your name?" he asked.

She noted that he had a British accent. It took her a second to look up, but he was patient. When she looked up at him, he tilted his head slightly.

"I'm Peter," he said, prompting. "And you are?"

"Dahlia," she replied.

He nodded. "Why didn't one of you give her a cloak? It's freezing tonight." He motioned at one of the boys. Immediately he unhooked it and handed it over. Peter took it and wrapped it around her shoulders. "What were you doing out here like that?"

"I was asleep then I woke up here." She grabbed the edges of the cloak and held it tightly around her. "Where am I?"

"You are in Neverland. I don't know how you got here. Usually only the shadow can bring people here."

"Neverland?"

Then it hit her. She looked up at him once again. He had turned away from her. She grabbed his shoulder and forced him to look at her. Sparks jumped from her hand to his shoulder. They both stared at it for a minute then looked at each other. Dahlia stepped back as the boys went to protect their leader.

"If this is Neverland, then that makes you Peter Pan," she said.

Peter looked up from his shoulder and smiled. "You've heard of me."

"Every child has heard of Peter Pan. It's one of our most precious childhood stories."

"You'll find the stories are the farthest thing from the truth. Come. We'll find you some clothes. You're going to freeze if you stay in the clothes you have on now."

He didn't wait around for her to argue. He strode through the foliage. A couple of the Lost Boys, that's technically what they were called, followed him. Felix gave her a vicious shove. She turned and glared at him but followed the path the others had taken.

Peter was all too aware of the effect the girl was having on the Lost Boys already. It had been a little bit since they had seen a female in general. He hadn't had one in his camp in a long time, but he'd seen them. That's what happened when you traveled all over the place. He believed her when she said she didn't know how she got to Neverland. He hadn't sent his shadow out to fetch anyone new so he had no idea how she had gotten there. She could have come through a portal. Though they were rare, they weren't unheard of.

He strode into the encampment and past the others. They offered him welcome then turned to stare at the newcomer. Oh, yeah. Dahlia was going to be a big hit around this place for a very long while. He walked over to one of the many chests and rummaged through it. The smallest person they had was Devin. He pulled out a pair of pants that would be tight on anyone else, a vest and a cloak. He handed them to her.

"Put these on. They should keep you warm tonight. We'll find you a bunk as well. I don't think you'd want to sleep in the same room as boys," he said.

Dahlia snorted. "I grew up in a co-ed orphanage that didn't have enough funding to give boys and girls separate rooms. I think I can handle it. And I won't get cold. I'm hot-natured. I have to be cold to sleep."

Peter stared at her. Then Felix started laughing and the Pied Piper diverted his eyes. He handed Dahlia the clothes then motioned for her to follow him. There was a little cove around the bend. It was away from the others' sleeping areas but it was close to his in case something happened.

He stopped by the cove and motioned to the opening. Dahlia looked at him then walked in. There was a little open area that blocked off the main part so no one would see in. It was big enough for her to stand and walk around in. She looked at the guys who had followed her. They were too curious for their own good.

"I'm keeping the second cloak for the night," she said.

Peter shrugged. "Go ahead. We have plenty. We'll figure out how to get you home later. Tomorrow the boys are going to want to know why you're here, as am I."

"I don't know why I'm here. Get used to it."

"Good night."

Felix caught up to Peter as he walked towards his own cove. He grabbed the Pied Piper by the shoulder and spun him around. Peter looked up at him, eyebrows going up in question. No one touched him like that. He waited for his right-hand man to say something.

"We can't let her stay. She has to go back," he said. "The prophecy says that a girl from another world will come to Neverland and still your heart. You cannot let her remain here after tonight."

"Don't you think I know that?" he snapped. "Don't you think I have the prophecy committed to memory? I know exactly what will happen. We will get her out of here as soon as possible. Neverland will fall if she doesn't leave. I know this."

"Yet she's here."

"I can't very well send her away in the middle of the night. She came here from her own bed. I don't know what else to do other than give her some place to sleep."

Felix glared at him as he went to his own cove to hide out. He swung his gaze to the cove just down the path. She was going to be the end of this place whether she knew it or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Dahlia blinked as she tried to get the sleep out of her eyes. She looked around then remembered that she wasn't in her apartment. Nope, she was far from it. She was somewhere that wasn't even on a map that she had seen. She was on the second star from the right and straight on till morning.

She couldn't believe she was with Peter Pan. Growing up she always wanted to get away, but this was ridiculous. Neverland wasn't supposed to be real. Neither was Peter Pan. But here she was right in the middle of both. She looked around at her new dwelling. It was vine covered and secluded. It made her feel as if she had her own place. Back home she shared a room with Kayla. This felt like she was on her own.

She looked at the clothes they had given her. She was happy she had been too lazy to take off her bra when she went to bed. She slipped out of her shorts and pulled on the pants. She frowned when she realized she had forgotten to ask for shoes. Running around barefoot could be dangerous. She pulled on the vest and, after a few minutes of fumbling, had it firmly tied in place.

The smell of food had her coming out to face the world. She paid attention to where she was walking. If she had to be here another night, she wanted to know where she was sleeping. As she came around the last bend, she saw Peter emerging from another hole in the wall. They looked at each other for the longest. Dahlia could even remember the spark that had jumped between them the first time she had touched him. What did it mean?

He motioned to the path. She walked past him and felt him fall in behind her. Why was she in Neverland? It didn't make any sense. She had never really believed in fairy tales. Disney movies were a good release and she loved _Aladdin_, but she knew the harder side of life. How was this going to be any different?

The camp was alive. The Lost Boys were running and jumping already. One was sitting by the fire cooking breakfast. Felix stood off to the side. His head came up when they emerged into the site. Dahlia felt like she was unwanted as the second in command stared at her. Not to be outdone, she lifted her chin in outright defiance. Behind her, she heard Peter laugh. He brushed by her and once again she felt the heat.

Peter walked over to another chest and pulled out some shoes. He tossed them to her then walked over to his second in command. He had better try to ease the tension between the two. Dahlia didn't know what she had started by dropping into this world but it was something. She sat down to put her shoes on and to spy. To her amazement, the shoes fit and they were comfortable.

One of the Lost Boys jumped up and ran over to her. She was slightly surprised when he grabbed her hands and jerked her to her feet. Over his shoulder, she saw Peter narrow his eyes. She ignored him and followed the boy over to the fire. When she saw what they were doing, she nudged them over and took over cooking. They crowded around and watched as she did it right. One draped himself across her back as he watched a little too closely. She caught his leg with a stick and knocked him backwards.

"Don't ever lean on me again," she ordered. The boy scooted backwards until his back hit the rock behind him. It didn't take very long to finish breakfast. "It's ready."

She stood up and moved away from them. They were like ravenous beasts as they swooped into the middle to snatch at the food. Dahlia moved into the trees, happy to sit on a log that was in between the boys stuffing their faces and the two boys watching over them. She looked around as they ate. There were a few coves right in the middle of the little glade. There were about fourteen boys. Each cove probably held maybe two boys. With Peter and Felix living in their own places, there were two less to house.

How she got here was still a mystery but she was certain she was going to find a way home. She had to. Kayla was going to flip her lid if she woke up and found out that her roommate wasn't home. It was usually Kayla who stayed out all night, not her. She was going to call the police and everyone was going to be looking for her. Going home was going to be a real cake walk.

Peter left Felix's side and walked in the middle of the ravaging boys. He snatched some breakfast for himself and the other boy standing outside the circle. What was so special about him that made her skin spark when she touched him? It made no sense. There wasn't any carpet around for her to rub her feet against so there wasn't any static electricity. What was causing the electricity between them?

Sticking her feet out in front of her, she stared at her boots. They were made of soft leather that molded to her feet. She hated that she didn't have any socks but that was neither here nor there. She was just happy her feet didn't freeze. Come to think of it, every piece of clothing was warm and they fit very well. Her arms were bare, but that was okay. She could handle that.

Dahlia stood and casually walked around the campsite. It was large enough for the sixteen of them, well seventeen now. She was here whether she liked it or not. There was a weapons store. Bows, quivers, spears, staffs and other sorts of wooden weapons were around. She ran her fingers along a bow, reveling in the way the wood felt under her fingers.

"Do you know how to use any of these?"

She turned around to see Peter leaning against the lean-to. "Not a bow, but I'm trained in fencing. I can wield a sword. I might be able to use a staff. Gymnastics helps with agility so it's possible."

When he smiled, it was a little crooked and his eyes lit up. He shoved off the pole and came towards her. She dropped her eyes in hopes he wouldn't want to look into them. He didn't touch her as he walked by. He followed the pattern of movement she did when she touched the weapons. It was like she had left a heat signature that he could follow.

She watched him turn around and look at her again. Without warning he hurled a spear at her. She moved just in time before it impaled her. The spear buried itself in the tree across the way. She turned to look at it then looked back at him.

"You're such an ass. That's no way to treat your guests," she scolded before she turned on her heel and walked away from him.

Peter was left dumbfounded as the woman walked away. She brushed past Felix on her way out of his sight. No one had called him a jerk in a very long time. The Lost Boys were too loyal to him to call him a jerk. He also had the reputation of being the law when it came to Neverland. If someone made him angry, he could just kill them or bind him or her to the place, never able to leave. But Dahlia was different. He had no inclination to harm her.

Felix watched his boss watch the fleeing girl. Dahlia was going to be the fall of them. Peter knew it but he was too dumbfounded by the girl to see how bad the affects were going to be. He was already showing signs of being an idiot boy infatuated with a girl. Peter should understand. He'd already gone through it before with Wendy. He had thought she would be perfect to watch over the Lost Boys but she wasn't. She couldn't handle this life. It had almost crushed the immortal boy. Felix wasn't going to watch the same thing happen again.

"Leave her alone, Felix," Peter said behind him.

Felix swung around. "You're going to protect her when she's going to be the downfall of us all?"

"We're still working on the other thing. If we can get magic back in Neverland, we will be all right. The girl is of no importance."

"Do you listen to yourself? You've gone through this before, with Wendy. It didn't work out last time. Why would it work out now?"

"Wendy had a family. A mother, father and two little brothers. Dahlia has no one."

"You are going to get us killed. Deal with this or I will."

Peter turned on him and got in his face. "Lay one hand on her and you will find yourself in the Echo Caves."

Felix watched him walk away to join the rest of the boys around the fire. He was allowing his old human ways to corrupt his thoughts of the Lost Boys. He protected those boys but whenever a woman came into the picture, he lost his mind. He saw the bushes shutter out of the corner of his eye. Dahlia emerged with no shoes on. It made him laugh. She was going to step on something and get killed. She could be that stupid he wasn't going to stop her.

He held his breath when she leapt up on the nearest boulder. She jumped, grabbed the nearest tree limb and swung up on it. She landed on the arch of her feet then reached for the next limb and repeated the same technique. Before anyone else realized it, she was halfway up the tree. He must have walked forward to get a better view because he was right beside Peter. The other boy looked at him then followed his gaze. There was evident shock on his face as he watched the girl sitting on a branch looking down at them.

"How did she get up there?" he asked.

"She jumped then flipped," Felix replied.

"Why did she take her boots off?"

"No clue."

"Someone that agile is bound to be trainable." Peter looked at him. "That's where you come in."

Felix shook his head. He was being relegated to babysitter. The Lost Boys had been here for years. They were able to handle themselves. This _girl_ was not one of them. She was not going to be able to keep up with them. She may be able to slide through the trees with ease, but training was a completely different thing.

He looked up and met her gaze. It was like she knew what he was thinking. He hadn't been very quiet about where he stood when it came to her. She was quiet but he knew she was able to bring down this whole thing. He liked Neverland. He could do what he wanted. He was second in command of the Lost Boys. He hunted whenever he wanted. He had power as Pan's right hand. He wasn't going to let a female mess that up.

He lifted his chin. He watched her narrow her eyes at him then turn her gaze towards the fire. The boys were dumping the uneaten portions of breakfast in the fire, which wasn't much since they had pretty much devoured it. They started rough housing almost immediately but no one was hurting each other. It was something they did to keep their strength up.

"Boys!" Peter called after several minutes. "Let's go hunting!"

Felix smiled up at Dahlia. He knew she wasn't coming down to go with them. More for them then. He took off with a hoot, following the boys out of the camp.


	3. Chapter 3

The wind felt good against her skin. Dahlia followed the path through the woods. The boys had left for their hunt a little over an hour ago. She had come down from her tree and went to put her boots on. There was no point staying in a strange place when she was itching to go somewhere else. She knew she shouldn't leave the camp but she wanted to go. No one was around to tell her what to do so she put on her shoes and took off down the path.

The path almost the same no matter which way she turned. Almost was the key word in that. There were little differences around every bend that she noted as she turned them. She would always be able to find her way back to the camp no matter where she was. It didn't matter if it was day or night she could always find her way.

She heard whooping up ahead. She must have caught up to the boys. She planted her foot on a rock and launched herself into a tree. Using the branches, she followed the sound until it was right below her. She kneeled on the branch and looked through the leaves. Peter and his boys had cornered a bear. The animal's muzzle was dripping blood. It must have caught one of the boys. She watched as they took a spear and rammed it into its heart. The boys strung the bear up by its paws and carried it through the woods.

Dahlia followed them through the trees, taking great care not to make a sound. She didn't feel like getting pierced by an arrow. They were deadly accurate. The bear was prime example. So she stepped carefully. It was easy to follow them. They were loud and obnoxious as they cheered their good fortune. A bear would bring them a lot of meat. They couldn't just live off meat so they would have to scavenge the rest.

When they got back to camp, the boys holding the bear moved across the area and started skinning the bear immediately. While they prepared the meat, the others grabbed satchels ad began dispersing to all sections of the glade. Peter and Felix stood by the simpering fire and talked. Then Peter walked around the corner towards her little cove. He wasn't going to find her there. He came back a few seconds later and talked to Felix again. The second in command shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't care that she had disappeared.

"Dahlia!" Peter called in his nifty accent. "Dahlia, you can't roam around Neverland unattended. You have no idea where you're going."

Peter wasn't going to admit it, but he was slightly worried. The ones living in the camp were the only ones that knew how to navigate the place. They had lived there long enough to be able to do so. A girl who had no combat capabilities or hadn't been there more than a day could find out where she was going.

When he had left to go on the hunt, he had been assured that she would stay in the camp. She had been in the trees when he had left anyway. She hadn't had any shoes on and had been glaring at Felix the entire time. He hadn't thought anything of it. So he and the boys had gone hunting. When they brought down the bear, he had thought about making the pelt into a blanket for the girl because cloaks could only keep them warm for so long. The nights were cold now which meant the seasons were about to change. His boys had pelts of their own. His own was a tiger pelt. So he was being thoughtful.

Going to her sleeping cove had been a good thought. Now that they had enough meat to last them for a few days, all they had to do was gather fruits and nuts to go along with it. He had gone to ask Dahlia if she wanted to come. Since they hadn't even started looking for a way back to her world, he had figured she might as well know which berries were poisonous. She hadn't been there. So now he was left calling for her.

The boys noticed his slight distress. Felix didn't look too happy about it but he kept quiet, a wise thing since Peter's patience with him was wearing a bit thin on the girl aspect. Some of the boys that remained in camp started looking through the hidden passages to see if they could find her. It didn't help that she was wearing the same thing they were.

"Dahlia!" Devin called.

There was rustling in the trees to his left. He turned in time to see her step out further on the branch. He looked down. It was the tree that stood at the corner of the path they had just come from. He frowned before it dawned on him that she had been following them. He watched as what Felix said was right. She sat on the branch where he legs were dangling off. Gripping the branch with her hands, she threw her body backwards. Her shoulders rotated as her body dropped. She landed on the balls of her feet and rolled to take the sting out. She came to her feet and walked towards him.

"What were you doing in the tree?" one of the boys asked.

"I went for a run. Then I heard you guys in the woods so I scaled a tree and followed you. I've been tailing you since you killed the bear," she replied.

Peter and the boy shared a look. She had trailed them and they hadn't even known. He couldn't help but stare at her. For the first time he noticed the shade of her eyes. They were an eerie gray color and they looked old. Very old, almost ancient. He wondered if she was a fairy tale creature, but then negated it. If she was, she would have known already what was going on in Neverland.

"We're just about to pick berries. I was wondering if you wanted to join us. It'd be a good idea since you're new here and don't know which ones are poisonous," he said.

She crossed her arms. "Is Felix going?"

Peter turned his head and looked at his second in command when he grunted. So she didn't like Felix? He understood. Many of the boys didn't either. He was an acquired taste. He'd asked him to join him because he was strong and trustworthy. Dahlia didn't like him because he'd been a jerk to her. He understood that too.

"Felix, remain here and clean the bear. You're the best at preserving. Make sure you save the pelt," he said.

Felix didn't agree, but he nodded anyway. He shoved past Dahlia, knocking her off balance. In retaliation, she put her foot out and tripped him. He caught his balance and glared at her. If looks could kill, they both would have combusted into a fiery mess. They hated each other. Peter accepted a satchel and handed it to Dahlia.

"Come on. I think Felix could use a break from you, as you could from him," he said.

Dahlia didn't have time to question him as he strode away from her. She ran to catch up to him. He started talking almost as soon as she was in hearing distance. He pointed out which berries were good and which ones would kill her in an instant. She took everything to heart and committed it to memory.

Peter watched her closely as he let her wander away from him. She had taken everything in and absorbed it like a sponge. The last person who had done that was Felix. She avoided thorns and whatever else there was that could prick her. It was as if she had grown up in the woods. He knew that wasn't so because her feet and hands weren't callused.

When they were done, they ventured back to the camp. The other scavenging parties were back and dumping their satchels in various bins. Devin jogged over and grabbed her arm to lead her to the bins. He looked at her satchel then led her over to the appropriate bin. He urged her to dump her satchel in it. She did so and he started a little happy dance.

Dahlia laughed as she was tugged into a dance around the nonexistence campfire. Devin was happy for some reason. Soon all the others joined in, passing her around to dance without any music.

Peter watched as Dahlia tossed her head back and laughed heartily. Her eyes glowed with glee, and her hair flared out as she was spun around. She joined the boys in their own little party, a party that involved her being passed around. Normally he wouldn't mind but something inside him clawed to get out, to grab her and take her away from his men. He stopped his train of thought when a hand landed on his shoulder.

"You shouldn't eye her so much," Felix said. "She might think you're a stalker."

"I'm not the one she asked to stay here," Peter replied. "She's not that bad."

"She's dangerous to all of us."

"We haven't found a way to get her home. I can't do anything more."

"Don't get too close to her. We're almost prepared."

"Then get prepared. When you are ready, let me know. Until then, I plan to make sure she survives."

(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)(%)

Dahlia sat in her cove and stared at the walls. For the last few hours, everyone had been working to get dinner ready. Apparently it took three to skin a bear. Well, four due to the size of the one they had killed. The boy the bear had gotten chunk of was named Barry. He had been the one to find the bear and, instead of waiting on assistance, had taken it on himself. He didn't fare so well, hence the long gash on his thigh.

After the bear had been skinned, the meat had to be washed of blood. They had selected a portion, and the rest had been treated and set in a specific bin with an air tight lid. Peter had made sure everyone had what they needed. She hadn't seen any water but she knew it was around because she could hear it.

She couldn't deny it. She missed home. She missed her bed, her books, her blankets, and whatever else she took for granted. She also couldn't deny that she enjoyed roughing it. These boys had shown her how to pit fruit, prepare juices, crush herbs to make a healing balm for Barry, and many other things that she never would have learned in the city. All they asked in return was that she make breakfast as long as she was around. Apparently no one liked to get up and make it. She couldn't refuse.

Leaning back against her bedroll, she eyed the makeshift curtain she had made with the extra cloak. The garb master had brought her two blankets and a stuffed thing to pose as a pillow. Her cloak lay folded to her side. The only one in the camp that didn't want her around was Felix. He seemed to hate her more than anyone she had ever known.

Her hair was getting on her nerves. She ripped a piece from the thin blanket and braided her hair, tying it off with the cloth. She wanted to go home but she didn't want to leave this beautiful place.

"Dahlia." It was Peter on the other side of the cloak.

"Come on in," she said as she leaned back on her elbows.

Peter pushed the cloak aside. He wasn't surprised she had used the extra one as a door. It gave her a sense of privacy. His own dwelling was covered like this as were many of the others. He walked in and stopped. She was leaned back against the bedroll with her hair tied to one side. It was dark and he could see her eyes glowing.

"Is everything all right?" she asked, leaning forward so her elbows were draped across her knees.

"Everything's fine. I brought you this." He set the pelt on her feet.

Dahlia reached forward and pulled it to her. "This is the bear pelt."

Peter nodded as he crossed his arms. "Yes. We washed it to get the smell out then added a softer underside to it. We all have one. It's getting colder every night so we thought you might want an extra blanket."

"Thanks, but I don't think everyone was happy."

"Felix has been with me the longest. He's just trying to watch out for all of us."

"I'm not very scary."

"You tracked us today without making any sound. None of us knew you were in the trees. You're probably lucky. Many of the boys are good shots. They would have brought you down. Then you would have died of Dreamshade poisoning."

"Dreamshade?"

"A very potent poison that grows in Neverland. You would have died in days if you hadn't taken the cure."

"If there's a cure, why are you telling me?"

"I was just warning you. Felix wouldn't have been as nice."

Dahlia raised her head to look at him. "Why did you say that our stories are much different than what really is? You don't seem so different than the stories."

"Trust me, my dear, I am. People tell you the good versions of the stories."

"I know the bad versions too. One says you used to kill members of the Lost Boys if the numbers got too big."

He waved his hand. "That's all nonsense. Why would I kill people when I bring them here to live with me forever? Most of the boys here were lonely when I found them. They didn't feel like they belonged to whatever world from which they came."

"What about the rest of the stories? Such as the ones where you cut off Hook's hand? Or where you saved Tiger Lily from Hook?"

Peter shook his head as he held his hand out to her. "I never cut off Hook's hand. Although I should have because he didn't listen to me. As for Tiger Lily, the Indians hate me. I would never go near them. That one was made up."

Dahlia stalled for a moment. If she put her hand in his, there would be a spark between them. She still didn't know where that came from. That scared her. Knowledge was power and she didn't have enough of it to make a justified decision.

Going against her better judgment, she placed her hand in his. The spark leapt from him to her this time as she came to her feet. Peter's smile was warm and inviting as he dropped her hand then pulled the cloak back. The smell of dinner hit her as she emerged.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a few days since she had arrived, and Dahlia felt more lost and alone than ever. Felix still hated her and tried his best to annoy her every chance he got. The rest of the Lost Boys were inviting and open, asking her to join them at night when they danced around the campfire. During the day they invited her to go with them to collect things, whether it was berries and other fruit or rocks for their arrow and spear heads. At night they all sat around to eat then dance.

Peter had pulled away from her in the last couple of days. When she had first arrived, he had made sure she was taken care of. Now he thought of her as one of the boys. She wasn't a boy. She was a girl, a woman who was somewhere she obviously shouldn't be if it was anything to do with Felix's reactions. For some reason, that alone made her sad to the point that she didn't want to leave her cove.

And she hadn't for a couple of days. She didn't get up. She stayed tucked under the bear blanket where no one would harm her. She ate very little, leaving more on the plate than the others liked. She barely spoke to them when they came in to bring her food. It was a small pity party that she wanted to have.

Felix had been walking back and forth down the path for the last few days. He was doing something down the other way with a couple Peter had dispatched with him. He was talking about another coming. She didn't know what it meant but she wasn't going to ask. He hated her enough that she didn't want mess with anything he had going on. She was pretty sure he would snarl at her again.

When she finally decided to emerge from her little hidey-hole, it was well after dark and the party was on. The boys were dancing around the campfire again, keeping time with the drums. The beat seemed to pulse around them, making the place feel magical. The instant she thought that, heat swarmed through her. Of course! It was Neverland, a place every child wanted to visit due to all of its magic.

"I was beginning to think you hated us." She turned to look at Peter as he walked over. He looked different, more sinister. "George and Barry said you hadn't been eating much these last couple of days."

"I wasn't feeling well," she replied. "I don't eat when I don't feel well."

"Are you feeling better?" She nodded as she looked at the dancing boys. "They love a good party."

"I think you love a good party as much as they do."

His smile was warm and it reached his eyes. Whatever had been going on in his mind had vanished, leaving the person she had met a few days ago. "I do love a good party, especially when all of its guests are present."

"Felix isn't here."

"Felix is out on reconnaissance for me. He will be back in the morning." He ran his hand down her shoulder to her elbow, unhooking her arms. He tugged gently, ignoring the heat that went between them. "Come dance with us. Last time there was no music. Tonight is special. It's a time to celebrate."

"Why?"

He tugged her flush against him. "Because you are well again."

He spun her once, right into Barry's arms. Dahlia was lost in the beat as they started dancing around the fire as they had done a few days ago. Only this time it was infused with magic. It pulsed with every step they took as they kept time with the beat. Whooping and hollering and the beating of sticks were encompassed in the entire charade. She swore she heard a flute as well.

That wasn't right though. Girls weren't supposed to be able to hear the flute of the Pied Piper. Legend had it that girls were too smart to fall for the music leaving the boys to follow the boy who was on the other side of the instrument. How she was able to hear it was beyond her.

Dahlia had lost track of time. When she looked up, the moon was high in the sky. The music ceased, the magic going with it. She shook her head to get rid of some of the affects. Her ears were ringing from it. It didn't take very long for everyone to disperse to their own sleeping coves. She doused the fire as everyone went their separate directions. She watched Peter go to his own, tossing the curtain back with such force that she thought it would come off the opening.

When she was certain there wasn't going to be a forest fire, she tossed the water bucket back into the barrel and headed for her own cover. She went in and started dressing for bed. She looked around as she untied her hair. She had seen enough of this place to last a lifetime. She wanted something different. Grabbing her bear skin, she wrapped it around herself and tossed the curtain back. Without a second thought, she walked up the path to the only other cove.

Peter sat up in anger. No one dared venture into his cove without permission. Many times he just reprimanded them harshly then let Felix do as he pleased with them. That anger turned to shock as he stared at the one who dared to disturb his peace. Dahlia stood in front of the now closed curtain with her bear skin wrapped around her body. She was barefoot and her hair was once again wild. Her gray eyes were wide as she stared at him.

He watched her as she slowly walked towards him. He didn't move, didn't dare breathe. His eyes dropped when her feet hit his tiger pelt. They were white and small and little dusty. No doubt they were freezing. Very slowly, Dahlia sank to her knees in front of him and over his extended legs. She shook slightly as she came closer to him.

He sat up when she was sitting on his thighs. He sat up, catching her by surprise. She gave a little gasp and he placed his hands over hers. The spark was ten times as potent. If he didn't stop, this was going to get out of hand. But he couldn't stop. His hands traveled up until they were framing her face. Slowly, so painfully slow, he shifted closer. He was close enough that their breath mingled. He watched her eyes dart between his eyes and his mouth.

He swallowed her gasp when he pressed his mouth to hers. She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her. She had started this whole thing and he was going to finish it. He dropped his hands and tugged her hips towards his. He was slightly surprised that she hadn't moved away. Then again he hadn't given her the time.

Peter hissed when her cold hands found his warm flesh. He heard her laugh, just a breath of air against his mouth. She fumbled with the laces on his vest then shoved it off his shoulders when she loosened it. He watched her face as she looked him over. He was decades of years old but he looked to be eighteen. How would she handle it when he told her?

The thought left his mind when she lowered her mouth to his neck. He tilted it to give her better access as he found the hem of her shirt and lifted it upwards. She broke contact long enough for him to pull it over her head. He shivered as cool air brushed over his skin. The spark and cool air didn't mix well. Her mouth was almost as hot against his neck. She found a soft spot behind his ear that made him turn his head into hers. This girl was slowly undoing him.

Shifting up on his knees, Peter gathered her to him without disrupting her and turned, placing her back against his bedroll. He lifted up then looked down at her. Her eyes were smoldering, flames licking in the gray depths. He dipped his head and kissed the swell of her breast. She made a sound in the back of her throat as her hands grabbed for a hold. That hold happened to be his hair. The sting of the pull added to the heated moment. He nipped at her flesh, reveling in the way it felt under his tongue.

His hands moved on their own accord. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and tugged. It took several more minutes for him to be divested of his pants. By the time he was, they were too busy laughing. He had fumbled enough and nearly landed on her. Before he did anything else, he caught the edge of the bear skin with his hand and pulled it on top of the tiger pelt. Then he slid under them both and blanketed her body with his.

He stared down at her, bluish eyes drinking her in. This was what Felix had been afraid of. If he got too close, he might lose control of himself. He didn't want to hurt his Lost Boys, but he couldn't help himself. This felt too right.

Dahlia groaned as his hot mouth covered every inch of her skin. This wasn't something she did. Actually she had never had a boyfriend so she never did it. Her roommate had done it plenty of times considering since they had moved in together she had paraded about three guys through their house. The spark between them gave them a mix of cool and hot air. Either one sent shivers down her spine; shivers of both excitement and fear.

She gripped his hair tightly in her hands as he traveled lower. She bit back a cry, afraid that everyone would hear if she screamed. They would come running then find them in this predicament. That would piss a couple of them off. But the emotions roiling through her, emotions she had never experienced before. They were so massive she couldn't control them.

"S…stop," she gasped. She shoved at his shoulders. "Stop."

Peter lifted his head, slightly dazed. Finally her words sank in. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes." She shook her head. "No. I don't know. Why are we doing this?"

He flashed her a crooked grin. "You came in here remember?"

"I know but…" She tried to move away from him but he kept her locked in place, his arms blocking her movements. "Please let me up."

"Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

Dahlia stared up at him. The sinister look she had seen in his eyes earlier was gone, replaced by happiness and excitement. She tried once again to see if she could move, but he was an immovable rock. She wasn't getting up unless he allowed her to. She looked at the walls of his hidey-hole. It was as bare as hers, but he had a lantern to light his.

"Let me sit up and I promise I won't leave," she compromised.

He tilted his head in uncertainty. She didn't think he was going to do it but then he moved backwards, pulling one skin towards his lap and the other towards her. She grabbed it and pulled it up to her shoulders. He grabbed her nearest foot and shackled her ankle with his hand, ensuring she wouldn't leave him.

"Tell me what's wrong," he said.

"I'm not used to this," she muttered.

He frowned. "What is this?"

"You. A guy in general. I'm not used to attention. That's all it's been since I got here about a week ago. There are only guys and then there's me. I get all the attention. I don't know if it's due to the fact that I can cook or that I'm learning to defend myself or because I can scale trees and follow you. I don't know what it is, but it's overwhelming. Now I'm here with you like this." She dropped her arms to her side so the blanket would stay up and put her face in her hands.

"Hey." Peter reached over and tugged her hands from her face. "The last woman who was here was Wendy. That was nearly thirty years ago. She was a little younger than you but the shadow brought her here. She was protecting her brothers. She loved it here, but she couldn't stay. The boys liked her. She was like you; beautiful, able to cook and clean, and nice. But she couldn't stay. They're excited to have someone to listen to them."

"And you still don't know why I'm here or how I got here?"

"As to your first question," he shook his head, "no. We don't know why you're here. As for the second question, sometimes portals open up that link my world to yours. We think that's how you got here."

"Can you send me back?"

He shook his head once again, slowly this time. "I don't know. We're still working on that."

Peter watched as the news sank in. It wasn't as vicious as it would have been a week ago when she first arrived. The effects of Neverland were getting to her. He was just lucky she hadn't drunk the water. He would never hear the end of it from Felix.

He let go of her foot. Immediately she pulled it back to her body and tucked it under her. He tossed his skin back on top of the one covering her and slid under hers so they shared it. It didn't cover much because she had pulled it up to cover her. Gently, he pried her hands off her face and waited until she looked at him.

"You have fire, Dahlia. That tells me you can do just about anything you want. If you want to go back home, I will do what I can to make sure that happens."

Dahlia stared at him. He seemed so honest but she felt as if there was something that he wasn't saying. It hurt too much to think. She reached out and touched his shoulder. She let her hands trail over the taut muscles of what seemed to be a teenaged boy. His eyes followed her hands until they stopped just a few inches south of his navel.

Peter took the initiative when she pulled back. Very gently and very slowly, he lowered her back down on his bedroll and started where he left off. Dahlia's fingers scored his back as he delved lower than he had the first time. He knew the second she let go of whatever sense of control she had and just went with it. Her legs came around his waist and she hooked them at the ankles.

He took her to places he hadn't gone in a while. For all the decades he had been in the body of an eighteen year old, he had only done this a couple of times, but he remembered the feelings. When he was done, he traveled up her body again. Wherever he touched, he felt as if he left a fire. It was potent on his end. He wondered how bad it was on her end.

He rose up over her, elbows locked so he didn't crush her. Her eyes were closed so she didn't see the look on his face. He wasn't sure if he could describe it so it was a good thing. He gathered her legs to him then urged them around his waist, hooking her ankles together. He took a deep breath as he surged forward, breaking the barrier that separated the two of them.

Dahlia covered her face as she did her best to swallow any and all cries that emerged from her. Peter was in her, above her, around her, taking everything she had. He was lucky he had already wrapped her legs around his waist. If he hadn't, she would have done it ten times more roughly. Pleasure ripped through her like none she had ever known. He was all encompassing in that aspect.

The spark that had jumped between them every time they touched was so potent she felt as if she was on fire. Opening her eyes, she noticed their skin was glowing. Everywhere they touched was red hot with the energy.

Peter grabbed her shoulders and urged her into a sitting position. He didn't know which one made the breathless noise first as he slid deeper into her, deeper than he had been in anyone. This angle gave him better access. He smiled when Dahlia buried her face into his shoulder and whimpered pathetically. His body burned, his head thrummed with energy, and he felt emotions he hadn't felt in decades.

Dahlia caught his hair in her hands, twisting it painfully. He felt her body starting to spasm. Her insides gripped him with such force he started to teeter over the edge. He gnashed his teeth together to keep from exploding. He wanted her to let go first. It was the right thing to do. He had to see to her pleasure before taking his own.

When she finally let go, he saw stars. He grunted as he stopped to let her have her moment. If he continued he was going to be following her and he didn't want that just yet. He fisted his hands in her hair to keep himself grounded, winding the midnight tresses around his wrists. When she slumped against him, he knew she was done. He started rocking against her once more.

Dahlia felt the world shake as Peter wrung every ounce of strength from her. She felt like Jell-O. Nothing wanted to work right. And when Peter started moving again, the intensity only picked up. She caught his face in her hands and forced him to look at her. His eyes were blown wide with passion and heat. She was sure her eyes mirrored his. They stared at each other as his body met hers.

She knew the moment he couldn't hold out anymore. He closed his eyes and dropped his head. He rolled it from side to side as he convulsed. He gathered her to him as heat spread through her. She clung to him as he came down from his high. When he had control of himself, he looked up at her. She could only smile at him. Then she broke the magic of it by yawning. Peter laughed as he adjusted his position and slipped free of her. She gasped.

"Sorry," he muttered as he turned to his side. He drew her down with him. "It takes some getting used to." He lay down beside her and drew the skins over them. "You'll stay here tonight."

She laughed. "Is that an order?" He flashed a crooked little grin. "Just remember. I'm not one of your Lost Boys."

"Trust me. I know. I'd never do this with one of them." He reached over and blew out the lantern, plunging them into darkness. "Are you determined to go home?"

Her eyes glowed at him in the darkness. "I like being here but I miss my bed. I think that's the only thing I miss. I didn't have too many friends, six I think. My roommate treated me as if I were a doormat that she could kick around. Don't get me wrong, I loved her, but she was a pain. I could barely tolerate her. This is a nice change of pace."

Peter ran his hand through her hair, tangling his fingers in the ends. "Sleep. We'll continue figuring out how to get you home."

Dahlia smiled at him. He lay on his back and pulled her to into his side. She rested her head on his shoulder, her arm tossed over his belly. Peter wrapped his arm around her shoulders to ensure she stayed next to him. Warmth spread over him as sleep took him.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** This chapter starts incorporating the show. There are a few spoilers so if you aren't caught up on it, don't read until you are.

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Felix dropped his companions off at the morning fire and took the path that led to Peter's cove. He had been gone two days preparing things for the next phase in his plan. He was in charge of that. That excited him. He was ready for the rest of this to take place.

He knocked on the outer shell of his boss's cove and waited. When there was no reply he knocked again. This time when there was no answer he tossed back the curtain and went in. Immediately he wished he hadn't. Peter was wrapped around Dahlia, their clothes scattered about them haphazardly. He gritted his teeth together in agitation.

The fool never listened! He hadn't listened when he was told about Wendy and wasn't going to listen when he was told about Dahlia. It was going to take him a little bit to sort this whole thing out but when they did, it would make or break their friendship. Peter didn't listen.

In retaliation, he went to kick his feet. "Get up."

Peter came awake instantly. He looked around and when his eyes found Felix, he scowled then buried his face in the pillow. "I told you to knock."

"I did, but you're too wrapped up to even know it."

The Pied Piper untangled himself from the girl in his bed and stood. Felix turned his head away in disgust. He hadn't realized how bad it really was. They had already gone above and beyond he thought was possible. With Wendy, Peter hadn't gone this far. She was only a teenage girl. Then again he also hadn't had half the crap on Wendy that he had on Dahlia. He knew exactly what the girl coming to still his heart looked like, and Dahlia met those requirements.

Peter finished dressing and spun around, silently asking if everything was okay. He shook his head then walked past his second in command. Felix tossed his hands up when he walked in the other direction. He waited until Peter came out of Dahlia's cove with her clothes folded. He went back into his own then came back. They didn't talk as they walked to the center of the camp. A couple of the boys were building the fire for breakfast.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" he asked when they were situated on the rock they usually sat on.

Peter pulled his flute out and rubbed the openings with the hem of his shirt. "You saw the remnants of what happened. Why are you asking?"

"Because we have the boy and I don't want anything to mess with the plan you have painstakingly put together."

"We have the boy?" Felix inclined his head as he leaned back. "When will he be here?"

"Tonight. I made sure they had a way through today. So you need to get your act together. Send the girl home via the portal and let it be. She is going to lead you astray, more so than she already has."

"I knew what I was doing, Felix. We both consented."

Felix leaned over and put his mouth close to the other's ear. He didn't want the boys hearing this. "Consent wasn't what I was talking about. You have to send her home. It will be devastating."

Peter turned to and pointed the flute at him. "You see, I don't think it will. We will have the power of the One True Believer. The boys will have a mother. Everything will be fine."

"What about the part where she will still your heart? Do you even know what that means?"

"The fact that I'm even discussing this with you means I value your opinion. If I didn't, I would have sent you away. Keep talking and I will."

"You're making a mistake, Pan."

"Bring him here."

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Dahlia shivered as she came awake. She sighed sleepily, rolled over, and burrowed further under the blankets to get warm. She inhaled sharply and looked at the pillow. This wasn't here pillow. She wasn't in her cove. Everything came rushing back at once. She sat up quickly.

"It's alright. It's only me."

She made eye contact with Peter. He was sitting across the area with his arm propped up on his knee. He was dressed but his hair was a little mussed. He had a cocky little grin playing about his lips as he watched her. She lay back down and covered her eyes with her arm. She heard the dirt give then the blankets pulled taut. A warm hand pulled her arm off her eyes, and she came face to face with Peter. He held his head in his hand.

"You'll want to know that Felix came back this morning," he said.

She looked up at him. "Did he…" A slow sneaky grin spread across her face. She groaned and pulled the skins up over her face.

Peter laughed. "We were completely covered. He didn't see anything. But I have to say you were amazing."

That only made it worse. "Don't say that."

He laughed once again, this time hearty and happy. "All right. I won't. But the boys are wondering where you are. It's almost time for breakfast and they like your cooking best."

"I'm never coming out again."

"You have to if you want to eat." He waited until she uncovered her face. Then he flashed that crooked little grin. "Get up. We have a long day ahead of us. Tonight we celebrate."

"Are we dancing again?"

"We are."

"Last night the earth literally moved. I don't think I can take that again." Dahlia looked up when he was strangely quiet. "What is it?"

"You felt the magic of Neverland. No female has ever felt the magic of Neverland unless she was from Neverland. I thought it was so far gone that no one could tap into it, not even me."

"Well you tapped into it. That flute of yours is killer. Pun intended."

Peter snorted out a laugh then patted her skin covered leg. "Get up. The boys are getting restless."

Dahlia waited until he was gone from the space before she got up. She was slightly sore but that was to be expected. She slid into her underclothes with ease. Her clothes followed. She was tucking the hem of her pants into her boots when there was a noise at the entrance. Felix poked his head in and tossed her a long sleeved shirt. He didn't say anything but it was an unspoken order. She stuck her tongue out at him even though he couldn't see it. She pulled the vest off then shrugged into the shirt. When she was fully clothed again, she walked out. Felix was waiting by the entrance.

She shoved past him without a word. Two strides later and he was in step with her. He crowded her on the path, making sure she was able to handle what he was dishing out. She hated that he tried to act all macho. She understood that he was mad that she was there. For the last week they had tried to find out how to send her home. The longer she stayed the more she didn't want to leave. That's what was bothering Felix.

She took two steps forward then turned to stop in the path. They right at the entrance to the camp where everyone could see them. Felix wouldn't dare do anything with his boss watching. She took half a step forward and invaded his personal space. He stared down at her with a scowl on his face. She searched it, searched it for anything that would tell her why he hated her so much.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

"Tell me something you haven't been oozing out of your pores since I got here," she goaded. "Help me find a way to get home and I'll be gone."

"You don't get it. There are only two things that can take you back and forth to Neverland. One is the shadow. He can take you to and from Neverland with ease. But you didn't arrive by shadow. You fell through a portal. Now you can make a portal with a magic bean, but there are only two left that I know of. The final way is to locate a portal and send you through it. The only problem with that option is we can't locate the portals without magic, something we are seriously lacking."

She tilted her head to look at him like he had lost his mind. "Neverland is supposed to be rife with magic. It's every kid's dream to find Neverland."

"Yes, it's every kid's dreams. But when those kids grow up, they forget all about their dreams when they were younger and stop believing in magic. Neverland is suffering."

"So…" She stuck her finger in his face. "You don't like me because Neverland is suffering from lack of magic? That hardly seems logical."

"I don't like you because of what you're doing to him." He pointed his finger at Peter who just happened to be looking at them with this strange look on his face.

Dahlia followed his finger then frowned. "What? Peter? What am I doing to him?" Felix raised an eyebrow. She covered her face for a split second. They waved in the air as she fought for words. "Ok. What happens between us is just that. Between us. I'm not a Lost Boy so I don't have to listen to him or you. Now if you want to come in, make sure I'm asleep or gone and don't make a big deal about it."

"What goes on with Pan is part of my business."

"Just because you're the enforcer doesn't mean you can push me around." She turned on her heel.

Felix's hand snaked out and latched on to her shoulder. Dahlia shoved off the ground and twisted away from him. She jumped to the boulder then grabbed the nearest tree branch. Felix watched as she fled from him using the trees. She had gotten good at that little aspect. A few minutes later she dropped down by the weapons store then walked purposefully to the campfire. The Lost Boys welcomed her with warm smiles. He caught Peter's eye. The other boy was not amused.

Dahlia licked her suddenly dry lips. Felix was hiding something. She could see it in the way he watched her. He knew something and she bet Peter knew it as well. She listened to the conversations going on around her as she made breakfast for the rest of the boys. Devin handed her and cup of juice and sat beside her on the rock that Peter and Felix sat on at night. The others were messing around on every side of the fire.

A few yards away, Felix and Peter were talking. Peter didn't seem too happy. Neither was Felix but they talked it over rationally, whatever rationally was. It didn't take much longer for the meat to be cooked all the way through. She called to the boys. They whooped as they came over and snatched meat and fruit and juice.

She scooted away as fast as she could. Nothing was like rampaging boys going to food. She snagged a couple of pieces for herself so she would have something other than fruit and juice. She retreated to a higher boulder and watched them while she ate. Her higher vantage point allowed her to escape the insanity that was roiling down there by that fire.

She swung her gaze to Felix and Peter. What were those two hiding? Apparently it had something to do with her. Why else would Felix be so judgmental? She gnawed on her lower lip as she thought about it. How could she get home? Did she want to go home? There were too many questions running rampant in her head.

Standing, Dahlia jumped from the boulder and walked past the fire. She pulled the strip of cloth from the waistband of pants and quickly braided her hair. She was going for a run whether the guys like it or not.

Peter watched Dahlia's hands move as she braided her hair across the fire from him. Felix was right. She was getting to him far worse than Wendy did. This had better stop soon because their next phase in their plan was about to start. He needed a clear head to go through with it.

When Dahlia took off down the path, Felix leaned closer to him. "That girl has learned to navigate the paths."

"She follows the magic," Peter replied. "Do you think since she could sense the magic because she is a girl?"

"I don't know but you better figure something out. The One True Believer will be here tonight. You planned to devote all of your attention to him once he got here. You can't do that if she's here."

Peter watched the path as long as he possibly could. He had to get ready. He had to make sure the One True Believer got here safely.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** This chapter is the first one with Henry. So if you haven't seen season 3 yet, sorry for the spoilers.

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Dahlia sat on the cliff overlooking the campsite. Hot and sweaty from her run, she had stopped to cool off. It was already well past midday and the site was vacant except for two Lost Boys. Peter must have told them to remain behind to make sure she was okay when she returned. It probably made Felix mad but she couldn't quite bring herself to care. Felix was on the lower end of her totem pole.

She slid off the rock and picked her way down. Once her feet hit the path, she knew the way back. Devin was one of the ones left behind. He had been one of Felix's men that the older boy had taken everywhere. Now he was being left behind because he had associated with her. If he could, he would usurp Peter. That would be a fight she'd like to see.

Devin and the other boy went about their business as she came into camp. Being here made everything come back extremely quickly. She was tired of staying in this area all the time. Without the boys here, it was too quiet. She felt as if she should be gone. She couldn't go home for she didn't know the way. A few of the Lost Boys had made it clear that they thought a girl wasn't worth much even though she cooked for them.

"Devin," she called. "How far is it to Mermaid's Cove?"

Devin frowned at her. "About half a day's walk there and back. Why?" He shook his head. "No. No! You can't go. Pan doesn't like any of us going over there."

"Well, Pan as you call him isn't my boss. I'm going."

The boy floundered a bit but there was no telling her to stop when she got started. Devin simply pointed in the direction of the cove. She scaled the trees in record time and was about to take on the mountain when something caught her eye. It was a mountain lion. It was actually a lioness. She was sunning outside of her lair. Two cubs came bouncing out and collided with their mother. She snarled gently at them then rested her head on her paws.

Dahlia smiled and continued climbing. She enjoyed the feeling of the rocks biting into her hands. They were going to bleed a little later but that didn't matter. She was going to explore Neverland. The run had only helped with her jitteriness. Exploring would help with her loneliness. Ever since she was a kid, loneliness had been a big part of her. She had lost her parents at a young age and had stayed at the group home –an over glorified name for an orphanage. There wasn't anywhere for her to let loose the pent up anxiety she often felt. Gymnastics had always helped then fencing once she got into high school. Now she was in Neverland, a place she had only dreamed of.

Devin was correct when he said it would take half a day to get to the cove. She had gotten off the hillside and roamed the paths there. When she got to the cove, she sat down in the sand and simply watched the waves brush up against the shore. It was peaceful, something she hadn't felt in a long while. She watched the mermaids sit across on an outcropping two hundred yards out and sunbathe. There was no point in talking to them. They wouldn't answer so she just watched.

When she was good and sunburnt, she got up and shoved her feet into her boots. She would take the mountain path back to the camp. In doing so she couldn't walk barefoot because rocks would dig into her feet. She could handle her hands hurting, but her feet would be too much.

She meandered down the path, taking her time because she knew Felix would be back at the camp by the time she returned. Darkness had settled in over the area. Since she stayed true to the path, she made her way back to camp rather quickly. The festivities had already started when she rounded the last corner. There were guards at every post. They stopped her progress, but when they saw it was her, they let her pass.

Many of the Lost Boys greeted her warmly. She talked to them for a long while. They were annoyed that she hadn't been around to help them prepare dinner that night. She had argued about only promising to make breakfast, that dinner was extra. The boys laughed at the look on her face, pointing it out as they did so. She made a face at them, but there was no malice behind it.

She moved from one group to another, talking to them as she went. Every time they brought up how bad it was for them to make dinner, and every time she told them the same thing she said to the first group. Every time they all laughed. It was the camaraderie that made this place what it was.

She spotted Devin across the way. He, Barry, and George were standing by the weapons store. She walked over to them and right into the middle of their conversation.

"First the girl and now this?" Barry said. "What else will be thrown upon us?"

"I like Dahlia," George replied. "She's fun and exciting, the only one of us who doesn't listen to Pan."

Devin met her eyes. "She's very entertaining when she wants to be. I bet she will be a great warrior if we trained her right."

"She might be able to draw a bow but I doubt it will fly straight."

"I can take you in swordplay," Dahlia said as she leaned against a tree near them.

George looked like a fish out of water as his mouth worked to keep up with his brain. Obviously he wasn't able to think clearly because she was standing there. She smiled a little at Devin. He smiled back because he understood what was going on.

"Where did you learn to sneak up on people?" Barry asked.

"I grew up in a place where the Mistresses kept a firm eye on all the children. If we were caught out of bed, we were punished. My roommates and I learned how to sneak out without being caught. It's one of the reasons I walk barefoot," she replied.

"What's the other reason?" Peter asked as he walked up to them. He was playing with a leaf, twisting it by its stem.

She looked at him. "I hate shoes and socks. I feel restricted when I wear them."

He nodded then walked around to the boys. Devin nodded his head as George and Barry sort of cowed at the sight. "You weren't here when I returned. Where did you go?"

"Mermaid's Cove."

He looked shocked. "You don't know the way to Mermaid's Cove. How did you get there?"

She smiled wickedly at him. "A good navigator never tells her secrets." She left Peter and the other three stunned as she walked away.

Dahlia collided with Felix on her way around the fire. They stared at each other, hatred in one gaze and annoyance in the other. She wasn't going to back down because Felix thought she was going to bring ruin to all of them.

"Just so you know," she said when he walked past her, "while I was heading to Mermaid's Cove, I was also looking for any tale tell signs of a way home. I figured it would make you happy to be rid of me."

"More than you know."

She heard his footsteps leading away from her. She had been correct when she told him she had been looking for a way home while exploring. Felix had made it clear that he didn't want her here. Some of the Lost Boys didn't either but she couldn't rely on them. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that urge to go home was slowly lessening. What was there to go home to?

Dahlia was completely shocked when she went to the tree line. It was one of the two places she always sat during the evenings while the party was going on. Usually she was alone, this time there was boy no older than twelve sitting on the log. He was wearing clothes from her world. He had just gotten here. She moved towards him. He jerked away when she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's all right," she said. "I won't hurt you."

The way he reacted reminded her of George. He had that fishlike quality going for him. She smiled at him then sat down, draping one arm over her raised knee. He continued to stare at her.

"You're a girl!" he said.

The smile was accompanied by a laugh. "Firm grasp of the obvious you have. Yes, I'm a girl."

"Girls aren't supposed to be in Neverland."

"So I'm told, and yet here I am."

"Does Peter Pan know?"

"Yep."

His face lit up almost immediately. "You're from my world, my time. How long have you been here?"

"Going on two weeks I think. Time moves about the same here as it does in our world. The only difference is there is hardly a variation between day and night. During the day it gets light but it's always overcast, or so it seems. Night is just like this. You can always see the stars. I've learned the paths leading in and out of camp and I can tell you which fruits are good and which are not."

"Haven't you tried to go home?"

She scratched her head and made a face. "I don't know how I got here actually. One minute I was asleep in my bed and the next I was waking up on the ground here. I've been here ever since."

"It seems like a portal was in your home. Your dreams must have been powerful enough to open it. Maybe if you dream about home another one will take you back."

"I never thought of it like that. Anyhow, I've dreamed of home many times and nothing has happened." She settled back against the tree. "What's your name?"

"Henry, and yours?"

"I'm Dahlia."

Henry scooted forward until his knee was touching her leg. "Do you believe in fairy tales? Things like Snow White and Prince Charming? Or Ariel and Prince Eric?"

"Disney movies?"

"No. Those movies were based off of real life fairy tales."

Dahlia stared at him for a few moments. "Are you telling me these things are real?"

Henry raised an eyebrow. "You are in Neverland with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys." He was right about that. "Everything we have been told from birth is true. These places are real. It's kind of like an alternate reality that we never see but they're there. For the last twenty-eight years, the other realm has been under a curse, a sleeping curse. My mom was the savior to that curse. She broke it a few months ago. Then all matters concerning magic popped up and here I am."

"What brought you here?"

"Peter Pan."

Dahlia swung her gaze across the fire. Peter and Felix were talking, and Felix was smiling. That was a look she had never seen and kind of wished she hadn't. That Lost Boy was just strange. Peter had brought this boy here. That sounded about right. She could still see the spark of mischief and arrogance in his eyes whenever he thought he was alone.

"I'm sorry for that," she said. "Would you like something to eat? It's fresh fruit and cured meat. I was there when the meat was caught."

"I'm not hungry."

She tilted her head at him. He was clearly distraught. She would be too if she was ripped from her family. "Rest then. You will be hungry in the morning. Trust me. I did the same thing."

She stood and dusted off her pants. There really wasn't any point. She was going to take them off when she got into cove anyway. She walked around the fire to the path that would take her to bed. She was three steps away when Peter pulled her to a stop. That spark burnt her skin.

"Are you off to bed already?" he asked, that crooked little grin on his face.

"I spent the day climbing rocks, watching mermaids, and walking back. I'm tired and my back hurts. I'm ready to relax," she replied.

"You're going to miss all the fun."

"I'd rather miss all the fun and sleep than dance the night away. Sorry."

He caught her wrist again. "Go to my cove. You can sleep there tonight."

"What makes you think I'd want to sleep there tonight?"

The grin spread across his face, mischief lighting his eyes. "Because I can feel it in your arm." She snatched her arm away. "Plus you'll be safer there. We'll be having unwanted visitors real soon."

Peter watched her walk away. He was slightly disappointed when she walked away from his cove and around the corner to her own. She didn't know what was coming. She would soon enough because there was no doubt she was going to get close to Henry. Then Felix would do what Felix did best.

Henry had asked to be left alone. The boy was still shaken about being ripped away from his family. He had to show him that he was needed. Neverland needed him. Peter needed him. There were things that needed to be done before all the pieces were put into play.

He would give Henry the night to come to terms with being in Neverland. Starting tomorrow he was going to push the boy into accepting that he was here.

Peter nodded to Felix then went towards his cove. It had been a hard, long day. He'd had to fake like he was running away from his boys. That had been the hard part. He had wanted to laugh at his good fortune that the boy had gotten the fairy dust working and they flew over the ridges.

He stepped into his cove to find it empty. So she wasn't coming. She had made her decision. Due to the fact that Felix didn't want her around him, it probably made the second in command happy. Peter didn't know how he felt. The prophecy read that a girl from another realm would come and still his heart. At first they thought it was funny. Peter was immortal. He had loved only once before and nothing had happened. But Wendy wasn't Dahlia.

When the prophecy was given to him, he had thought it was a lie. Then he had been given a parchment with the face of the one who was to be his downfall, just like the parchment that held Henry's face. He had waited nearly two decades for Henry. Now he had both. Imagine his surprise when Dahlia landed on the path leading to camp. She had the facial structure and dark hair of the girl in the photo. Her eyes were darker than he thought they'd be. Sketches couldn't have coloring so it had surprised him nonetheless. Now they were both here at the same time with Henry's family coming after him.

The curtain flew back and Dahlia's shadow fell over him. He knew it was her shadow because he had seen it plenty of times out by the fire, had memorized it. His body remembered the feel of hers, his skin the feel of the spark that zapped him whenever he touched her. He turned around and they stared at each other.

"My skin is still here," she said.

He motioned to his bedroll where both his tiger skin and her bear skin were draped over it. "Be my guest. Take it."

Dahlia stood still for a long moment. If she walked forward to take what was hers, she would walk right by him. No doubt they would end up touching in some way. She wasn't sure she could handle that. He was still hiding something.

Sucking in a breath and pulling her head up, she walked forward. As she reached for her skin, Peter snagged her arm. The spark was instant, popping on their skin and skirting around in their bloodstreams. She stared up at him, unsure of what to do. The crooked grin had returned. She had a split second to decide what to do before Peter lowered his mouth to hers. She inhaled sharply, taking the scent of Neverland into her.

Peter was all too aware that he was losing the battle within himself as he drove himself home. His mind didn't even register what they were doing until he stared down at Dahlia, his body moving on its own accord. Her back was to him as he surged forward time and time again. It took his ears time to register the sound she was making as he pleasured her. He dropped kisses down her spine as far as he couldn't without losing what ground he had. If he kept giving into his body's urges like this, he was going to go mad.

He grunted when he pulled Dahlia up on her knees. She gasped as he slid deeper. He pushed her hair over her shoulder and buried his face in the back of her neck. He felt her legs tighten around his knees.

"Please," she begged breathlessly. "Stop."

"I couldn't if I tried," he replied.

"Peter."

Her plea ended in a whisper and that made it worse. Somehow he spun her around until she was facing him. Her eyes opened, and he gasped at the heat, passion, and fire all wrapped in her grey depths. He melded their mouths together as he found his rhythm again. She broke away from him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face behind his ear.

She splintered, her body quivering all over. She gripped him tightly inside and out, pulling everything from him she could. Peter tried to hold on, to heighten both their pleasure, but he couldn't hang on. He pressed his face into her shoulder as he quivered as well. It took them a few minutes to control their breathing. His hands traveled up her body until they framed her face. He forced Dahlia to look at him. Her eyes were still bright.

"Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded. He smiled as he rubbed his thumbs along her cheeks. "You'll tell me if I hurt you, no matter what I do." He huffed out a laugh when she yawned. "You weren't lying when you said you were tired."

He grunted when he slid free of her. He watched as she fell back against his pillow, her hair fanning out around her head. Something eased his soul as he stared at her. He grabbed both skins and pulled it over them when he laid down beside her. He doused the lantern and listened to her breathing deepen into sleep. Henry was supposed to be his priority but Dahlia had taken over all that. He watched her across the fire every time she was there. He couldn't help it. She drew every eye of the Lost Boys and he was afraid something would happen.

As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he stared at the roof of his cove as he held Dahlia close. Maybe Felix was right.


	7. Chapter 7

Henry was still in awe that Pan had allowed a girl in Neverland. Pan never did anything without reason. So why was he so shocked every time he saw Dahlia move through the camp? He was even more shocked when she took out Felix when the Lost Boys decided to spar with each other. She took him out with just a staff. Felix hadn't been too happy but he had wiped his mouth and shook her hand all the same.

With his family coming, he started to think about helping Dahlia off the island. They wouldn't have any issues about taking a girl away from this place. He stared at the parchment in his hand. Pan had given it to him when he wasn't sure about staying in the camp, when he wanted to run away. His face was sketched on the thing but he still couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it. His mother was the Savior, not him.

Even though he knew his family was coming for him, he still felt sick every time he closed his eyes. He saw the man and woman Felix had killed the day he arrived. He hadn't seen a dead body before. His family had been really good about keeping the ugly side of things away from him. He knew both of his mothers had killed a person in either self-defense or out of rage, but they'd never let him see the after effects. It haunted him.

He missed home. He missed his bed, his books, his castle, his moms. He missed everyone, even the people he really didn't get along with. He missed his everyday life. The island was nice even if it was a bit cold at night. He spent his nights by the fire staring at it, dreaming of going back, seeing home in the red flames. He hoped his family would show up quickly because he was afraid if they didn't, he would never leave.

There was a rustling behind him. Very slowly he turned. Two golden eyes glowed at him in anger. A growl shook the bush. A wolf padded slowly from it towards him. His breath caught in his throat as he backpedaled off his log, landing hard on his butt. Rocks bit into his hands as he dug them into dirt. The wolf stalked him as he went back towards the fire.

His vision was blocked when someone dropped in front of him. He recognized the long black hair falling in a braid. Dahlia had dropped from the tree. She had taken refuge there after sending Felix careening into a boulder. Obviously she had been watching him and saw the wolf long before it started after him. He heard movement behind him as the Lost Boys became aware of what was going on.

"Tell them not to move," Dahlia said as she lowered her body to the wolf's level.

She heard Henry relay her message. She didn't dare look over her shoulder because the wolf would go for her throat. As it was, he wasn't too happy of being kept from his kill. He was even less thrilled about being stared in the eyes. She watched it closely as she kept one hand on Henry and the other planted in front of her.

Something clicked and she knew the instant the wolf was going to attack. Maybe it was the magic of Neverland. Maybe it was instinct. But at that moment as she watched the muscles bunch, hindquarters gathered to spring, she knew this could go one of two ways. And she was determined to come out on top.

In one fluid motion, she shoved Henry to the side and sprang, meeting the wolf halfway. His jaws snapped inches away from her throat, his claws flying for grip. Locking her arms, she kept him away from her body. She grabbed his front paws and rolled. It was a scrabbling match. In a last ditch effort, she somehow got her arm wrapped around the wolf's throat. Rolling once again, she came up on top of his back. Flattening out, she bit his ear. He yelped and squirmed to get away. She loosened her hold to let him slink out from under her. Breathing heavily, she sat back on her heels and rested her arms on her knees as she looked at the animal.

"Are you done?" she asked like he could understand her. The wolf dropped his ears and tail at her voice. "Oh, come on. I didn't do anything to you. You were the one who attacked the boy. Don't get upset simply because I defended him."

Felix stepped up beside her. "Are you talking to the wolf?"

"Shut up. I didn't see you do anything." She turned her attention to the wild animal. "Don't attack anyone else. You will be killed next time." His reaction was to come to her and lick her in the face. She laughed. "Go lay down."

Miraculously the wolf did what she said. He walked over to the bushes and flopped down with his head inside the camp. She stood up and walked over to Henry. He stared up at her in shock.

"Are you okay?" she asked him as she squatted down in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Your eyes…" He fumbled for something in his pocket. When he retrieved it, he handed to her. She looked at the reflective surface and inhaled sharply. "Something about you brought you to Neverland. Your eyes are wolf gold." His eyes widened. "You're hurt."

Dahlia shrank back as he moved forward. He gently touched her shoulder. His fingers came away stained with blood. They stared at his fingers for a few seconds then looked each other in the eye. Dahlia unlaced her vest and shrugged off the leather. She unbuttoned her shirt far enough that she could see the damage. The wolf had gotten a lucky scratch in even though she had defended herself against him. It was deep and she would be surprised if she didn't lose muscle movement.

Henry looked at the angry red streaks dripping blood steadily. He grabbed the hem of his flannel shirt and ripped a long strip off. He slid closer and reached for her. She shied away for a second as she tied to assess the damage. Henry finally touched her shoulder gently. When she didn't flinch away, he wrapped the red material around the wound.

"How did you do that?" Peter asked. Dahlia turned around to look at him. His mouth fell open as he stared at her. "One of your parents was a werewolf. That's how you're able to feel the magic."

He said it like it was some sort of great revelation. Dahlia looked at Henry for confirmation. She had never seen anyone more in tuned with the stories of their childhood. Henry was still a child so it made sense.

"Red Riding Hood lives in my home," he said. "She is a werewolf. And before you argue that that can't be, these stories and real life are so skewed that we're learning as we go along."

Peter reached forward and gripped her good shoulder. Heat zipped between them but they refused to acknowledge it in front of the others. Peter called out to Barry for the first aid supplies as he maneuvered Dahlia to the fire so he could see. The boy rushed to get it. When he came back, he stared at the mutilated shoulder of his friend.

Dahlia kept her eyes averted as Peter started cleaning the wound. Some of it made sense. If one of her parents was a werewolf, she would be able to sense the magic. From what she read there was some sort of magic involved when human changed from man to beast. If she thought about it even more, it also meant her parents had been hunted. That was how they had been killed. She knew it deep down in her soul.

A sob escaped her as she stared into the fire. Her parents had been killed because they were mythological creatures. She could feel Peter tense as he tended her shoulder. He didn't know what was going on through her mind. It was a good thing because then she would demand if he knew and had t said anything. Something soft nudged its way under her free hand. It was the wolf. He rested his head on her knee.

"Are you all right?" Henry asked.

She nodded as she wiped at her eyes. "Yeah. Sorry. The pain is more than I thought it would be."

"If you wait a couple of minutes, it should heal. You should eat something."

"I'll get it," Barry offered before he ran around the fire. He came back and handed the little box to Dahlia. "Are you going to be okay?"

"She's the daughter of a werewolf, Barry," Peter said as he finished wrapping her shoulder. "Of course she will be."

Henry sat down beside her, careful not to touch the wolf or the girl. "My family is coming for me."

She looked at him as she rolled a berry between her fingers. "What makes you think that?"

"I'm sure you've heard someone mention the savior before." She had. Felix had mentioned it a couple of times in her presence. Both times he hadn't known that she was there. Peter had popped him in the chest both times. "The savior is my mom. She always comes when I need her."

"Must be nice," she muttered.

She hadn't meant him to hear that, but he had. He tilted his head to her. "You don't know your family?"

"No, I know them. I just don't remember much about them. They died when I was ten. I grew up in a group home."

"I've been wondering why the shadow hasn't sent you back yet. Maybe it has something to do with your werewolf magic. Anything is possible if you believe."

"What was on the parchment Peter handed to you?"

Henry wrinkled his nose. "You call him Peter?"

"You call him Pan. It's the same thing. We just use different versions. I use the first name. You use the last. He answers to both of them." She leaned back against the log. "What was it?"

Henry settled in beside her and leaned his head against her good shoulder. "It had my face on it. He said I was going to be the savior of magic, that I was the One True Believer. I don't know even know what that means."

"Trust me. I don't know what me being here means either. I just showed up one day and I haven't left, as you can see."

Across the fire, Peter watched the two prophesies lean against each other and talk. Having both of them together was going to be a hard thing. No doubt Henry had already spilled what he had been given. Dahlia still had no idea what her part to play was. She also didn't know that the secret he was keeping from her wasn't the only one he was keeping. Only Felix knew the other.

He stood, moving to his rock and closer to Felix. The other boy smiled up at him, knowing exactly what he was doing. Lifting the pipe to his mouth, he began to play. As the other boys started dancing around the fire, he noticed that Dahlia and Henry remained where they were. Eyebrows knitting together in confusion and anger, he continued to play in hopes that the girl would move. When she didn't, he dropped his hands, angry that something had suddenly changed. Then the wolf shifted.

"Pack magic is blocking my song," he muttered. "She can't hear it anymore."

Felix turned his head to look at her. The dancing boys had forced the three, wolf included, to vacate their spots. They had retreated away from the fire to the tree line. The wolf flopped down on the ground, a barrier between the two. He was absorbing the magic from the night. The other two were talking and sharing fruit from the box.

"She's going to protect him," he said as he bit into an apple. Peter gritted his teeth, snuffed out a breath, and shook his head all in the same moment. "You're the one who won't let me send her home."

"You don't know how," Peter reminded him.

"I could always find a way. Use your shadow."

"He's got other things to worry about. I told him not to mess with the girl."

"You're putting us all in danger. What if they both find out your little secret? Both secrets? If you don't tell her why she's here and she finds out, you're going to have more than an angry werewolf to contend with. That boy won't trust you like you need."

"You know, sometimes I like talking to you. Other times I just wish you'd shut up."

Felix laughed, not at all offended. Pan lashed out when he was aggravated. "You're just annoyed that your plans, while well thought out, are backfiring. That's what happens when you mix business and pleasure."

"What do you think I should do?"

"Make her trust you. If she trusts you, so will he."

Peter looked at the two again. Dahlia had kicked off her boots and was once again barefoot. Henry was talking her ear off and she seemed to be listening intently. She would say something and the boy would launch into a ten minute long tell. He could tell she was genuinely interested when she leaned her head against her hand.

"How do I make her trust me?" It took him a moment to realize that Felix hadn't said a word in answer. Looking down, he caught the look that his second was giving him. "She won't leave him."

"Make her. Give Henry her cove. Make her stay with you."

"How?"

"Tell her we don't have any more room, that Henry will sleep in her cove. That will make her sleep with you."

He shook his head. "She'll never go for that. She already suspects something."

Felix waved his hand in their direction. Dahlia stood and extended a hand to Henry. He took it and they walked down the path to that led to her cove, the wolf trailing lazily behind them. Felix looked up with the look that said I-Told-You-So. Peter had never wanted to hit someone as much as he had his second.


	8. Chapter 8

Dahlia raced through the trees, limbs catching in her loose hair. Something was going on at the camp. She had gone out like she normally did. This time Loras, the wolf, had gone with her. He had kept pace right beside her as she ran the paths and explored. His wolf senses had flushed out a covey of birds that he snatched with ease. She had allowed him to hunt them. His entire being was wolf and he used it. She had shot down a couple with arrows but left the rest to him.

She had used a vine to tie the birds together as they moved through the paths once again. A couple of times she had thought she had heard some movement around her. Loras hadn't picked up anything so she hadn't really thought anything of it.

Her mind had been whirling when she had gotten up that morning. Henry had been sleeping in her cove the last couple of nights. They shared the bedroll but had separate blankets. She had retrieved her pelt from Peter's cove and used it while the boy had used her thin one. They had shared the pillow since she only had the one. Loras had slept at the foot of the bedroll, his senses much better than their own. If something had happened, he would have alerted them.

When she got up, she had thought she had heard Peter and Felix talking just down the path. It was quiet but she still could make out the words or the voices. Ignoring it, she had gotten dressed and went on about her daily business. Henry had wandered out a few minutes after she did and had come to sit beside her at the breakfast fire. They had talked while the last of the bear meat was cooked. That bear had lasted a lot longer than she thought due to the number of them eating it.

By the time the rest of the Lost Boys, including Felix and Peter, had wandered out to the fire, they were already restless, Dahlia more so than Henry. As soon as she was able, she grabbed a satchel, a bow and quiver, and a knife and set out for the woods. Henry had wanted to come with her, but she had explained that she needed the release from the tension that was oozing off a certain someone. Smart as always, Henry had looked right at Peter. The other boy had been irritated by something and was keeping his distance from everyone.

By the time the duo had reached the ridge above the camp, the tension in her chest had eased. She wasn't as wound up. She had gone to her nice little spot where she picked berries until her bag was full. Loras had romped around until his was covered in leaves and burrs. She had spent the better part of an hour picking them out of his fur. When he had flushed the covey, she was loose and happy. That happiness only intensified when she brought down two of the birds. Whether or not she'd like to admit it, Felix's lessons were working.

When the sudden heavy feeling came, she had relaxing by Crocodile Creek not too far from the camp. Loras's head had come up as well. He had bounded for the path that would take them back to the camp first, leaving her to follow. During the run, her hair had come untied from the cloth strip. She didn't really care. Her first instinct was to get back to Henry and check on him. He had become like a little brother in the two days he had been there. She would die if something happened to him.

She slid to stop as she came into camp. Boys were laid out everywhere. Some were even lying on their weapons. It was if someone had come through and knocked everyone out. There were too many boys to be able to do that by hand. It had to be magic that did it. She went over to George who was closest to her and shook him. He began to wake up slowly.

"What happened?" she asked when his eyes locked on to hers.

"A man came into camp and did something," he replied as he sat up. He looked around slowly as the others came around. "I don't remember much of anything."

"They took Henry."

Dahlia turned to Peter, anger coursing through every part of her being. "Where?"

"I don't know. I was about to come find you and ask you if you would track them. They couldn't have gotten far. The sleeping spell lasts a couple of hours."

"Where were you when it was put into effect?"

"I wasn't here. I was gathering fruit." He showed her the full satchel at his hip.

She frowned. He never left camp without a full guard unless he knew it was safe. Even then, Felix always followed him. Felix was like running into a brick wall. The only reason she had taken him down a couple of days ago was because he had gotten cocky and turned his back on her. She had tangled his feet with hers and took him down. He hadn't been happy but she had won so it didn't matter.

Peter stepped into her bubble. Loras issued a warning growl at her side, only subsiding when her hand landed on his head. "Can you track them? You were able to find us without any issues your first day here. Maybe now that you know that your parentage is of the lupine variety, you can tap into that and find them."

She swallowed hard. "How will I get word back to you?" He inclined his head to the animal at her side. She thought about it for a minute. It was Henry. She pulled the satchel over her head and shoved it into his hands. "Fine. Thirty minutes."

She missed his sinister smile as she took off down the path. She knew there was one path that led to another small encampment that the sentries used. When she got close enough, she swung up into the trees, using extra care not to make any sound. Loras stalked the ground, moving when she did. He poked his head out of the bushes when they came to the other camp. Right in the middle were two men. One placed Henry on a vacated bedroll and turned to the other. They started arguing right there. Then the younger man did something to the older one because he was suddenly frozen in place. The younger man moved and she followed.

They followed him again. He stopped at another camp. This one she had never been to, but she knew she would always find the way back. She looked down.

"Loras, go."

As the wolf ran back down the path, she sat down in the tree and waited. It wasn't much longer because Lost Boys poured out of the woods like a pack of rats. She watched Felix and Peter emerge last. Peter immediately started talking to the man but she ignored him. Felix had grabbed Henry. He was her priority. As the second in command came down the path, she dropped from the tree and fell in step with him.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"He was hit with the same sleeping spell that knocked out the camp," he replied without his usual haughtiness. "We'll get him back to the camp where we can watch over him. Where did you go?"

"Everywhere. I was by Crocodile Creek when I felt something was up. I came back as quickly as I could."

Felix nodded and they continued in silence back to the camp. Loras wedged himself between the Lost Boy and her. Felix didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't take offense. Dahlia realized that he was in an extremely good mood which was rare for him where she was concerned. She didn't bring it up because she didn't want him to snap.

When they got back to camp, he made a beeline for the far side. He laid Henry down on a soft patch of grass and stepped back. Dahlia sat down beside the boy and put his head in her lap. Loras curled up beside her. Felix moved across the fire pit and began cleaning the birds she brought back.

They stayed that way until the party returned. Peter smiled at her as he came over. He kneeled in front of them and ran a hand through Henry's hair. He reached up and gently touched her face. It was a brush of his fingers but it still sent that spark right down through her bloodstream.

"You did well today," he said. "I can tell tracking has come easy for you."

"You lied," she said suddenly. He raised his eyebrows at her. "I saw the way that man looked when he was captured with that…stuff." She couldn't think of a better word. "You had the same glow. It was a little dull because it was an after effect, but it was there. You were here when they took Henry. Why didn't you stop them?"

"I couldn't. You see, Bae coated the shaft of the arrow with squid ink. It's one of the only known substances to freeze a magical person. He was very smart. I taught him well. They came early this evening. You weren't back yet. I'm glad you weren't here because you would have been captured as well."

She wanted to say something really snarky but Henry started to stir. Very gently she put his head to the ground and scooted away. Peter moved to take her spot. Annoyed at him, she walked away. Henry was okay so he didn't need her just then. She walked over to the weapons store and leaned against the pole holding the roof up. She couldn't hear what the two were talking about but she could sense Peter was relieved.

"You did good," Felix said as he leaned a little too close to her.

"Coming from you it sounds more like a rejection," she replied as she tried to shift away from him.

"Not many can track a cold path."

"How long ago had he been taken?"

"A couple of hours before you got back." He reached behind her. "You have leaves in your hair."

She shook her head as he walked away from her and to his rock that he normally sat on. Annoyed, she walked over to Henry again. He smiled up at her then hugged her tightly.

"Hey, kid," she said. "I'm just checking in on you."

"I'm fine. How's your shoulder?" he asked.

She shifted her clothes, all too aware that Peter's eyes were on her. "It's scarred. I don't think it will fully heal." She laughed when Loras dropped his head and whined. "It's all right."

"What are you doing now?"

"I'm going to lie down."

"Why don't you stay for the fun?" Peter asked. The fire caught in his eyes and a wicked gleam spread through them.

"I don't think so. I'm not much in a partying mood. I'll see you in a bit."

Henry held on to her hand until he couldn't. She commanded Loras to remain with him as she went down the path. Once she was in the safety of her cove, she stripped down and changed clothes. The room was dark so it gave her ample time to think over what had happened today. Why had Peter lied twice? She had a feeling that he knew the men who had taken Henry. He had said he trained the young man and he said it with satisfaction.

She had changed clothes and was getting ready for bed when a shadow dwarfed hers. She tried to turn around but hands clamped around her wrists like a vice. She was shoved into the wall face first. She tried to fight but it didn't work.

"Stop!" she commanded with as much force as she could. Not much she could do with her face pressed into vines.

A mouth was pressed against her neck. She knew it wasn't Peter. He wasn't this cruel. She knew he could be but not to her. A sudden idea came to mind. She braced one foot against the wall and pushed off. Her momentum sent them both backwards. Rolling her shoulders, she extended her arms. In doing so, she pulled her attacker's arms over his head.

"Felix?" she muttered.

"Hello there," he said with a smile. She wrenched her hands free and turned to run. He caught her ankles. "I don't think so."

His body blanketed hers. She clawed to get away but her nails only scratched the dirt. His hands were too adventurous. They went under her tank and fondled her breasts. No amount of squirming she did could stop him. His breath was hot against her neck, moving her hair. She started trembling uncontrollably.

"Please stop," she begged as she tried to keep the tears at bay.

"Call for help," he said.

When he started shoving at her shorts, that was the last straw. Reaching behind her, she grabbed his hair and yanked forward. He yelped in pain and jumped at the same time. It gave her ample time to get up and run for the door. Shoving the curtain back, she ran back towards camp. Felix laughed as he followed her.

"Loras!"

The wolf jumped over her as she hit the dirt. Felix slid to a stop as the wolf stood in front of him and snarled, white fangs glistening in the fire light. The wolf was not going to back down. He had to either kill the beast or go around it. There was no going around him and he couldn't kill him because Dahlia would come at him. He held his hands up and blanked his face.

"Dahlia?" She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. Peter jerked away and held his hands up. "It's only me. What happened?"

Dahlia turned around and looked at Felix. He tilted his head slightly, daring her to say something. She was still choosing when Henry came through the crowd. She couldn't say anything around him. Finally she shook her head.

"Nothing. Nothing happened. I thought I saw something," she replied. A sick feeling settled in her gut. "I'm just… I'm going to bed."

Henry grabbed her hand. "I'll come with you."

She nodded and they went back down the path, Loras following them.

Peter walked up to Felix. "I don't like that look. Henry was finally dancing with the others. You had to muck it up."

"I wanted to make sure she trusted you," Felix replied.

"By attacking her? By scaring her so much that she jumped when I touched her? How does that help?"

"Henry trusts her so that means he'll trust you if you're good to him. Just give it some time."


	9. Chapter 9

A hand on her shoulder brought Dahlia out of a deep sleep. It hadn't been but a few hours since Felix had attacked her in this very place and she wasn't very comfortable anymore. When she looked up, Peter put a finger to his lips and handed her her clothes. She understood his hidden meaning, but getting up was harder to do than he thought. Henry had pressed himself against her side in the middle of the night and was lying on her arm. She had to wrestle him to get away. He simply rolled over and snuggled under the blanket even more.

She quickly dressed and followed Peter out of the cove. He started down the path leading away from the camp. She didn't hear any noises coming from camp so the others must be asleep. Peter was swift as he walked down the path. She caught up to him rather quickly and kept pace with him. She thought he was going to lead her towards Mermaid Lagoon because he had a very thick pack with him but he didn't. They walked right up to Crocodile Creek.

"I thought you'd might like to bathe. You seemed upset last night and I didn't want to make it worse," he said. He pulled the pack off his shoulders and pulled out some material. "We don't have proper towels here but I figured this cloak would work just as well." She nodded at him. His smile reached his eyes. He reached for her hands. "I won't hurt you."

She believed him somewhat. He hadn't so far. He took her hands and pulled her towards him. He watched her eyes. She kept them averted from his face, like she was trying to hide a secret from him. He very slowly, very gently wrapped a hand around her side and drew her closer to him. He felt her tremble when he pressed his mouth to her neck. Felix must have scared her senseless if she was shying away from his touch.

Peter pulled at the lacings of her vest the same time his mouth found hers. She still trembled at his touch but it wasn't as bad. He pulled away so he pulled both vest and shirt over her head. He couldn't look her in the eyes so he dropped his head so he could nibble at her ear.

"Stop," she muttered as she pushed him away. Normally he would fight but the look on her face made him pause and do as she asked.

"I didn't mean to push. Undress and get in the water."

Dahlia really didn't know what was going on with him but she did as he asked. She slipped into the water. It was cold but the chill was welcomed. She sucked in a breath then dropped below the surface. The water was crystal clear. She could see for about a mile. Her view was disrupted when Peter jumped in. She came up for air and stared at him. He smiled but left her alone.

She leaned back into the water and stared up at the sky. Felix had tried to force her into… Shaking her head, she tried to banish the thought but she couldn't. The second in command had tried to have his way with her. She might be able to defend herself now but when attacked from behind, she had nothing to do. Agility was the only thing she had but even that didn't work too well sometimes.

Henry was something to protect now. All night long she had thought about what had happened. Were those people his family? If they were, why was Pan keeping him from them? Henry must be so lonely without his family. With her head whirling once again, she climbed from the river and grabbed the cloak to wrap around her. Loras bounded from the trees and right up to her, pressing himself against her leg.

"He has become a faithful companion to you," Peter said as he dressed off to the side. She hadn't heard him emerge from the water. "What made you name him Loras?"

"There's a show back home called Game of Thrones. One of the characters name is Loras. It seemed to fit," she replied. She wrung out her hair. "Is Henry's family coming for him? If they are, why are you keeping him here against his will? I didn't think that's how Neverland worked."

"Neverland has a mind of its own. None of us can control it."

"Why don't I believe you when you say that?"

Peter raised his eyebrow at her, something he did when he couldn't believe she'd said something to him. He tossed his vest to the ground and strode over to her. She pressed her hands to his chest to fend him off but he wasn't going to have it. She needed to know that he would do anything to watch out for her. He whispered to her, trying to calm her. When he was certain she wasn't going to fight anymore, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. He waited until he could see her eyes before he kissed her.

Peter was nothing like Felix. Yes, he fought with her to get her to calm down enough so he could hold her. Felix had made her skittish. She hadn't liked him before, and what little respect she had for him when he brought Henry back to camp went out the window. She never knew what he was planning.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Peter whispered against the shell of her ear.

She shook her head. "No, he didn't. He just scared me, but I don't want to be around him."

"Dahlia, he's my second in command. He will always be around. He does what I say because he knows what I want done."

A terrible thought shook her. She shoved away from him. "Did you tell him to attack me?"

"What? No! I didn't tell him anything. But he thinks you don't trust me. You need to trust me if you want to go home."

"Go home? I've been here for nearly three weeks and no one has been able to find a portal or whatever to send me home. That's looking like a far off fantasy."

"You don't want to stay in Neverland?"

"I don't know what I want!"

Peter watched as she turned away from him and began to pull her clothes on. This wasn't going as well as he planned. After a couple of weeks, the Lost Boys had begun to forget home. They had become accustomed to living in the wilds of Neverland. Now many of them didn't even remember where their old home was. But Dahlia was different. She remembered home. She knew what it was like to have a normal bed.

"Peter." He watched her turn around to face him. Something held her back from saying what she wanted. "Never mind. Come on, Loras."

The wolf followed after her as she entered the trees. He was left watching to see if he could follow her movements. She was of wolf's blood. It meant she would be quiet no matter what how hard his eyes tried to follow her movements. Werewolf magic ran through her veins. Whenever she looked through the wolf's eyes, his magic was useless.

Peter didn't know how the rest of the prophecy was supposed to go. He knew that she would come to him with black hair and light eyes. Other than that he didn't know anything else. He knew she was supposed to be his downfall, as Henry was supposed to bring back magic to Neverland. But he didn't know that when they touched, a spark would jump from one to the other. What was he supposed to do? At least with Henry he knew he had a chance of getting him on his side.

"Girls really shouldn't be in Neverland," he muttered as he grabbed the pack and followed the same path Dahlia took minutes before.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Later that night, Dahlia sat secluded in the trees with Loras by her side. She watched Henry dance around the fire while Peter played his pipe. She could feel the magic of Neverland pulsing around them. It was strong enough for her to taste.

She saw Felix sitting on the rock by Peter. She wasn't as afraid of his as she should have been. Loras had taken care of him for her. He wouldn't go against the wolf. Just about every animal on the island was wild, but she had somehow tamed him. That would be Felix's downfall if he ever tried to do anything again.

Tsking at Loras, the wolf bolted from the underbrush. She watched as he walked around to the far side of the fire. He snatched two spits of roasting meat and took to the trees again. He took the long way back to her. He dropped both into her lap and waited until she removed the meat from one. He attacked it with vigor, ripping into the muscle with sharpened teeth. Laughing at him, she picked at hers.

She caught Peter scanning the trees as he kept up his conversation with Felix. He was looking for her. She had abandoned her normal rock to hide in the thick foliage where no one could see her. It served her purposes. She could stand guard over the camp and watch whatever was going on in the camp. She was able to see Henry as he danced around the fire, knocking sticks together as he went.

There was a rustling behind her. Turning, she watched as another wolf pad out. Its head was lowered like it knew she was in charge. Loras crawled on his belly to it, yipping happily. The other wolf responded in kind, sidling up to him and laying down.

"I get it," she muttered. "This is your mate. Now what should we call her?" She tilted her head in thought. "Rosie. I'll call her Rosie."

She watched them situate themselves to where they were happily comfortable. Loras sighed then buried his nose in his mate's fur. He was content now. She had noticed that he had grown increasingly restless. Now she understood it was because his mate had been away from him for so long. Now that they were reunited she hoped he would be easier.

The night wore on. She yawned a couple of times. When she could see the moon overhead, she determined it was time to go to bed. The easiest way to get out of her hiding spot would be to go down the way she usually did. She walked over to the boulder she usually sat on and used it to climb down. She looked at Loras when he deftly jumped down.

"Show me up why don't you?" she said.

Loras's tongue lolled out of his mouth. He understood what she had said and thought it was funny. For a wolf, he was very mean.

Without a word to anyone, she walked towards the path that led her to bed. There were whispers behind her as everyone noticed the extra wolf with her. She didn't care. At least they didn't argue as the boys did.

She went to her cove and stopped just inside the door. Loras growled, no doubt scenting Felix. She didn't want to be here. Memories surged up, loud and annoying. She grabbed her bear pelt and left the wretched place. She didn't realize she didn't have a place to go until she was almost back to camp. She stopped and looked around. The only thing she saw was Peter's cove. Making up her mind, she went in.

"Did you see the other wolf with her?" Felix asked. "If we're not careful, she'll have a whole pack with her."

"Do you know nothing of wolves?" Peter questioned. "Wolves mate for life. That had to be Loras' mate. She was a pretty thing."

"How much longer do we have to wait?"

"The others will be here shortly. I have already paid a visit to Emma. Hook is next. I'll tell him one of my little secrets. After that, it's up to him. Oh, not to forget that Charming has been struck with Dreamshade."

"Dreamshade? The poor man won't make it."

"Ah, very true, but I plan to up the playing field. No one will leave the island."

"No one?"

Peter looked down at his right hand. "She will leave in due time."

"How much time will that take? If she finds out what you've been hiding, you will never have the trust of a woman again."

"I have the trust of a woman, do I not?"

"Only because you force it." Felix watched the look upon his face. "She won't have gone back to her own cove."

"I know."

It took a couple of hours for the fire to die down. When it did, a couple of boys doused it and everyone headed to bed. Peter and Felix watched them disappear, watched Henry walk to the cove around the corner from Peter's. The two in charge shared a smile then parted ways.

Peter tossed the curtain back and entered his cove. Like Felix had said, Dahlia wasn't in hers. She was curled up with the wolves on either side of her. Loras raised his head. When he was satisfied that Felix wasn't with him, he huffed out a breath and laid his head back down. The Pied Piper shed his boots and vest and climbed in bed with the girl. Dahlia shifted, turned into him. He buried his nose in her hair.


	10. Chapter 10

Peter was annoyed. He watched the two wolves lay about the campfire. That was normal but normally their master was around. Dahlia had been gone when he woke up. He would have felt her leave him but he hadn't, and he hadn't been able to find her. Henry hadn't seen her, neither had Felix nor Devin. The wolves weren't restless which meant she wasn't in trouble. That didn't ease his mind though.

She didn't choose to be on this island, but she was here. And now she was right in the middle of everything. She had forged a bond with Henry that was nearly unbreakable. Henry had talked to her about his versions of fairy tales, about what he had seen. They were so close he didn't think he could force her into what he wanted her to do.

With Henry's family on the island, things were about to get interesting. He was resetting the board every chance he got, but Dahlia was making things complicated. The Dark One had a prophecy all his own. Peter had two working on him. He needed to keep the one about Dahlia a secret. The only other person who knew was Felix and there was no way the boy was going to let that slip. The one person who needed to know was Dahlia. He had to tell her because he had a sinking feeling that if he didn't, she would find out and hate him. For some reason, he couldn't handle her hating him.

Loras's head popped up, followed by Rosie's. The two wolves were in tune with their master that they knew when she was coming. He waited two heartbeats before he realized she was moving slowly. Something had happened. He could tell by the way Loras stood and started pacing the fire pit. A low growl emanated from deep within him. It wasn't a warning, more like an irritated noise. He was acting like a caged animal. Rosie crept forward on her belly, whining as if she were in pain. With both wolves acting out, it alerted the rest of the Lost Boys.

When Felix stepped up to him, Peter shrugged. He had no idea what was going on. This was his island. He usually had complete control, but the girl had ripped all that away. She didn't play by his rules; she made her own.

The trees above the camp rustled and every head looked up. Dahlia stood in the trees. She had her back turned but red was visible on her neck and shoulder. She jerked something roughly then tossed it down. It was a lion. Somehow she had come across a leopard. She followed it, landing on her feet. She grabbed the lion by its feet and started dragging it over. Devin and Felix met her half way. She didn't even shy away from Felix when he brushed her shoulder. As she drew closer, it was evident she was wet. Henry bolted down the path.

Peter didn't ask any questions as she sat down on his rock. Barry and George jumped to build the fire higher so she could warm up while another boy ran to grab something to clean the blood off. Loras got right in her face and growled at her, nipping her nose with his teeth. It was his way of berating her without words. Dahlia buried her hand in his scruff and he laid down, Rosie beside him. Henry returned with one of the cloaks that had been in his cove. He wrapped it around her and sat beside her, his head resting on her shoulder.

Barry snatched what first aid supplies they had and started dabbing at the crusted blood around her eye. She stared at the fire, keeping her eyes averted. She had tapped into the wolf's blood running in her veins and they were certain that her eyes were gold. That had been the reason Loras and Rosie had reacted the way they had. She had pulled some power from them.

"What do you want us to do with the leopard?" Felix asked.

Peter motioned to the girl. "Ask her. It was her kill."

Felix didn't look her in the face. He wasn't certain what her reaction would be to him now that the adrenaline was wearing off. He was still a little shocked that she didn't shove him away when he went for the leopard.

"Dahlia?" he asked. He had never used her name before. He normally just called her girl or she, never her name. He didn't want to put a name to her because it meant she was still around.

She turned her head slightly. "Use the meat. Keep the pelt."

Knowing better than to sit around for a reaction he knew would still be violent, Felix retreated to the other side of the fire to skin the animal and use its meat. Peter watched some indecision run across his second's face as he sat down to tend to the fallen animal. Even though he had attacked her, Felix was trying not to become too attached to her. That was so unlike his second, who didn't even like most of the other Lost Boys.

Barry finished cleaning her up then sat back and looked at her. "Why are you all wet? You know it's getting colder. You shouldn't be going for a swim in your clothes."

Barry was one of the three that Dahlia hung around most. George and Devin rounded out the other two. It wasn't unusual for him to ask her questions when she returned to camp. He understood that she didn't listen to his leader. It intrigued him yet scared him all the same.

"I hadn't planned on going swimming," she replied. "I was just a little north of the camp when the leopard jumped out at me. I think it must have thought that I would have made a good meal. It just didn't realize that I would fight back."

"You fell into the river with it didn't you?" Henry asked.

She nodded. "I went first, tumbling over the gravel. That's where this came from." She motioned to her eye. "I used Peter's knife to kill it. I cleaned the blade before I brought I back."

Peter accepted the knife without a word. He examined it like he always did after it was used then sheathed it. He motioned to Barry to get him another cloak then gently edged Dahlia to the ground in front of him. He took her spot and started to unbraid her hair, fingers running through the slick tresses as he brushed it out. Barry returned with another cloak and he used it to dry her hair. Rosie shifted enough so there was enough room. She rested her head on Henry's knees.

"You could have been killed," he said.

"I know. That's why I fought," she replied as she reached over to scratch Rosie's chin. The wolf's tongue lolled out of its mouth in a happy gesture. "She likes you."

"I like her." Henry ran his hand lovingly through her gray fur. "Oh, by the way, Devin attacked me today."

Dahlia looked at Peter, golden eyes full of anger. "What?"

"Before you get too angry, he won. If you noticed the nick on the boy, it was from Henry. He changed a stick into a sword. It was really something beautiful," he replied. She stared at him, not liking his blasé attitude. "He's the savior of magic. He has to be able to turn simple stick into a sword. It means he's the one I've been waiting for."

She stood and tossed the cloak in his face. "You're a real rat bastard sometimes, you know that?"

Peter stared in shock as she stormed away, the wolves going with her. Henry looked between the two of them, not really sure which one he should go after. He stayed by the fire because he didn't want to upset Pan. Instead of hanging around, Peter tossed the cloak to the ground then took off down a path.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Dahlia walked the paths rather quickly. Peter had gone too far in making Henry fight Devin. He really shouldn't continue on this path because he was going to get all of them killed. Irritated that she hadn't seen it before, she rounded the corner and stopped. There was a camp right in front of her with a fire still going. Someone was here.

Loras went first, his nose to the ground. He walked around the camp and made sure that no one was there. He yipped lowly and they ventured in. Rosie stayed behind her the entire time, making sure no one came at her back. Dahlia walked around the camp, kicking at the fire to see how hot it was. She noticed there were fresh water skins off to the side. Whoever was in this camp wasn't too far off.

She rooted around in some of the belongings that had been left. These people, there were at least four of them, were here for a reason. She didn't know what but she knew they were here. As she looked around, she saw pits from many of the fruits lying about the fire. They were going to be here until they found what they were looking for.

The bushes behind her rustled and five people jumped out bearing weapons. Dahlia looked around at all of them, committing their faces to memory. There were two women; one with long blond hair, the other with short black hair. The men also varied. Two had dark hair and the third had lighter brown hair. They all pointed their weapons at her.

"Who are you?" the blond headed woman demanded.

Loras growled, widening his feet so he could spring if he needed. Dahlia looked down at him then lifted her head to look at the others. Rosie was growling something fierce at them. She held her hands up slowly.

"Does it really matter?" she asked.

"What a minute, Emma," the shorter dark haired man replied. He held his hand out and lowered his crossbow. "I think she might be on be one of Pan's."

Dahlia frowned. "One of Pan's? Yeah right. I don't belong to him although he likes to think I do, the pompous ass."

"Wait. I thought girls didn't come to Neverland," the blond man said.

"Oh, I'm tired of explaining this. I was asleep in my bed when I woke up. I fell. No clue how, but here I am. Who are you?"

The blond woman dropped her weapon to her side. "I'm looking for my son. Pan took him."

She tilted her head. "What does he look like?"

It was the dark haired woman who answered. "He's about five foot three with dark hair. He's in jeans and a red shirt. His name is Henry." Dahlia took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes. "You know him?"

"Yeah, I know him. He's okay. He's been eating and keeping warm. He thinks his dad's dead." She looked at them with a thoughtful eye. "Did you give him this?"

She reached into the satchel on her side and pulled out a golden mirror. The glass was broken like it had been tossed. She had picked it up before anyone else had found it. That wouldn't have been good. Peter had been very short of temper lately. There was no need to upset him more.

The blond reached for the mirror and she handed it over. "We gave this to him so he'd know we were coming."

"He knows but there's not much he can do to help you. Pan keeps a close eye on him. He would me but I have werewolf magic in me so he can't control me."

"You're kidding me," the taller dark haired man said. "Did you say werewolf magic?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Whats up, Hook?" the blond man asked.

Dahlia snorted. "Captain Hook? Well isn't this dandy?"

"Nice to meet you too, love. There was a prophecy about ten years ago about a girl who would come to Neverland and throw Pan off his game. It was said she would be of the wolves and would still his heart. I think that might be you, love."

It suddenly made too much sense. It had to be the secret Peter and Felix were hiding. They talked about her when she wasn't around. That much she knew. It also made sense as to why Felix didn't like her as much, and the reason he had attacked her the way he did. The knowledge raised a lot of questions. Was it just the prophecy that had led to Peter coming on to her or had he done it all on his own?

The one named Emma stepped up to her. "Where is my son?"

"He's in the camp," she replied.

"Get us into the camp."

"I can't. I move through the trees so it would be hard for you to follow me. Besides, there are always sentries posted on every entrance. You wouldn't make it through even if you tried. Your best bet is to find another way in, one that doesn't include me. I can protect Henry. Peter won't mess with me as long as these two stay with me." She rested her hands on the wolves' heads.

"Won't he see where you've been?" the blond man asked.

She shook her head. "Werewolf magic won't allow him. He may be old but he knows how magic works. Though I don't think he's been around werewolves much, I think he does know how their magic works. He's not willing to tempt fate with all of it. I'll be safe. If I lead Henry away from the camp he will be as well."

"I will trust you to keep him safe."

Dahlia nodded. "I'll do my best. He's smart so he's able to handle himself, but I'll do what I can. Peter isn't someone to take for granted. He's one of the best I've seen at planning. I've only been here a few weeks and I can tell he's already ten steps ahead of you and he's rearranging the board. I don't know what his plan is yet, but if I nag Felix, he might spill."

"No, Felix is his number one man. He won't spill anything to anyone. They've been together for centuries," the shorter dark haired man said. "I'm Neal by the way. I lived here for a bit. There's a lot he hasn't told you."

"I don't stay in the camp much during the day. I'm running the paths leading in and out. Sometimes Henry joins me but Felix has been keeping him around the camp mostly. Peter disappears sometimes but a lot of the times he's with Henry as well."

"Why wouldn't Pan keep you on a leash? You're probably more lethal than Henry is," the blond said. "I'm David."

"Dahlia. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier. The only ones who pull weapons on me are the Lost Boys, another reason I don't stick around camp. Peter doesn't think I can do any harm. I don't fight with weapons very well. I'm still learning, but I know the paths so I can run them better than anyone. I know hiding spots as well."

"I'm Mary Margaret. Pan gave Emma a map. Will it work?" the other woman asked.

Dahlia shrugged. "If Peter gave it to her and said it would work, then I think so. But I'd be careful about that. He's in a very bad mood. He might change it on you." She watched Loras turned back towards the path. He cocked his head then started to huff, a clear sign someone was coming. "I have to go. Trust me when I say I will watch out for Henry. It's the best I can offer right now."

She didn't wait around long enough for an answer. She grabbed the lowest tree branch and swung up into the tree. Rosie and Loras took off after her, away from the path in case someone saw them. She was usually with them so all anyone would have to do is look up into the trees and see her.

It didn't take very long for her to get back to the camp. The paths had been clear of any Lost Boys so she didn't think anything of it. She dropped into the camp as her wolves burst through the foliage. Henry made his way over to her, sword he had created in his hand. She tossed her arm around his shoulder as they went back to the fire.

"I saw your mom," she whispered as they sat down and grabbed some dinner. She hadn't realized how late she had been out.

"Where is she?" he asked.

"About an hour away from here. Peter knows where they are so it will be harder for them to get here. I'm piecing together his plan but I haven't gotten the final piece yet. He's ten steps ahead, and the only one who knows is Felix."

"Can you ask Felix?"

"I don't know. I doubt it. Peter has the ability to have five or six thoughts going on at once. It takes time to figure out which way he's going to lean."

Henry pointed across the fire. Peter and Felix were talking and the Pied Piper was a little annoyed. They tried to listen in but the fire roared too loudly. Dahlia held up a finger to Henry and tapped into the wolf magic. Henry sucked in a breath when her eyes turned gold. Her hearing was amped up as well when she did this. She turned her attention back to the fire. With her hearing better, she could hear the entire conversation.

"I think she found the others," Felix said. "The wolves' trail to the camp but didn't lead away. I think she found the camp and took the trees out. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Do you think she talked to them? Besides Henry, Dahlia is the only one in this camp that I cannot control. The wolf magic inside her is too strong. You and I both know that werewolves don't live on the island, but we've met one. Their magic is almost as strong as Neverland's."

"Is that why you've been treading lightly around her? You're afraid she will unite the wolves of the island?"

"That and so much more, my friend. You're more concerned about the livelihood of me. I'm more concerned for everyone else. I don't want them to get hurt." He held up his hand when his friend was about to say more. "No more. Dahlia won't hurt the Lost Boys. We know that but the others will. We need Henry."

"You need a firmer hold on the girl. She's too much of a loose cannon."

"Dahlia is as trustworthy as you, but I cannot bind her to camp." A look passed between them, something the eavesdropper couldn't decipher. "Aye, my friend. That just might work."

Dahlia slipped out of the wolf's hearing with ease, finding it was much easier to do so. She watched Peter walk around the fire. He walked with a purpose even though he stopped to talk to some of the ones he treasured. These boys were his family. She could understand that.

He didn't touch her when he walked up to her. He looked down at Henry with a pleasant smile. "If you'll excuse me, I need to steal your friend away."

Henry looked at her. He didn't want her anywhere near Peter again, but he didn't know what had already gone on between the two of them. He didn't need to know because he was just a kid. She ruffled his hair then leaned in close.

"I told your mom I'd protect you," she barely whispered. "Keep a low profile."

Peter tsked. "Secrets are no fun, Dahlia."

She stood. "I just told him that I'd be safe with you. It's not such a lie, is it?"

A mischievous smile flashed across his face and played havoc with his eyes. He was up to something. He bowed like a regal knight then motioned for her to go ahead of him to the path. She did so, feeling the familiar spark when his hand landed on her back.


	11. Chapter 11

Dahlia stepped into Peter's cove. None of her stuff had been moved back to hers which meant he wanted her to stay with him again. She didn't mind but she had a couple of things to ask him.

She watched him make sure no one was coming before letting the curtain fall back into place. He leaned casually against the entrance with his arms crossed. She would have been certain that he was in a good mood if she hadn't heard him talking to Felix.

"Did you run into someone new by any chance?" he asked right off the bat.

"Define anyone new." She wasn't going to play his game. If she learned anything from him, it was to always change the rules.

He smiled, already knowing that she was using his tactics. Except she had something he didn't have. She would always be able to bring out the best in him. He just had to give her the right tools to do so.

She stood still as he started circling her. He was treating her like a caged animal. She might as well be one with the way Felix had treated her a few days earlier. Strangely she wasn't. She didn't know what had come over her if she didn't feel frightened around the hulking Lost Boy. He scared all the others. He had attacked her so why didn't she feel scared?

"You're not scared of me," Peter mused as he circled her.

She laughed. "I was just thinking the same thing. I think it might be the wolf magic, but that's not what I want to talk to you about." He raised his eyebrows in welcome of her question. "What's the prophecy that has to deal with me?"

His mouth worked like a fish. Obviously no one questioned him. She had learned that a long time ago, maybe the first night she had been in Neverland. But she was tired of playing by his rules. She had to change them so she could have some semblance of peace. She was going to find out what he knew whether they fought or not. She'd rather not fight with him, but if it came down to it, she would.

She watched his brain work. He was coming up with whatever he thought would appease her and get her mind off the situation. It wasn't going to happen though. She was going to find out from his mouth what was bothering him. She was going to find out what prophecy he had and what it had to do with her. She didn't care if it made him mad. She could handle a mad Pan. She couldn't handle a lying Pan.

She grabbed the front of his clothing and pulled him to a stop. He looked down at her hand then up into her face. She took his face gently in her hands, her thumbs stroking across his cheeks. She would use whatever measures she could to get him to answer, using the spark against him to get him to answer her.

His eyes swam with some sort of emotion she couldn't place. He tried his best to hide it by diverting his gaze but she wasn't having it. She started forward, forcing him backward. He grunted when his back hit the rock wall. She watched his face carefully, memorizing the look of contentment when it came over him.

Peter felt himself tremble when she reached for the ties of his vest. It took her no time to unlace it then remove his belt. The leather fell with a _chink_ due to the metal that held it together. He watched her face as she shoved the leather from his shoulders. He flicked his wrists to get it off his body. She tugged his shirt out of his pants, and he hissed when her cold hands hit the warm skin of his hips.

If he thought her hands were torture, then he didn't understand it quite yet. He lifted his arms to help in the process of getting his shirt off. When he lowered them, her hands spanned his chest. She walked her fingers down his body, her thumbs pausing long enough to flick his nipples. He sucked in a breath as she dipped her head to take one into her mouth.

"You don't know what you're doing," he rasped. He couldn't bring his voice up to its normal octave.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. Now shut up," she said as her hands went lower.

Peter cracked his head against the wall once as he fisted his hands at his side. Dahlia was playing with fire and she knew it. She wasn't going to stop even if he begged. She was learning how to play Peter Pan unlike anyone before her. Wendy had come close to knowing him but he hadn't done this. He hadn't shared his body with anyone, contrary to popular belief.

Shoving his hands behind his back, he closed his eyes as the feeling of her mouth on his skin took over. Last time sex had been involved, he had been the one giving. He hadn't thought about receiving since their first night together. Everywhere she touched, fire leapt high and hot in his blood stream. His head pounded with the heat and his ears rang. His skin buzzed with electricity. He was falling apart.

"Lift your feet," she commanded. Her voice was steady as his would undoubtedly tremble if he spoke.

Unsteadily, he lifted one foot so she could pull his boot off. He repeated the action with the other. His breath rushed from his lungs as her hands made quick work of his pants, shoving them down with her steadily warming hands. Her nails scrapped across his skin, too close to him. He reached for her but she skirted out of reach.

"No," she said.

He groaned and knocked his head back again. When she didn't touch him right away, he looked down at her. She was sitting back on her heels with one elbow on her knee with her chin propped in her hand. She stared up at him with a look he couldn't perceive.

"What would you do if I left you here like this?" She motioned up and down his body with her free hand.

He leaned forward and drew up all the menace he could in his state. "Don't you dare."

She raised an eyebrow at him, a perfect mirror of his. "I don't think you're in any condition to be giving orders here. If I remember correctly, I'm the one still fully clothed." He growled in the back of his throat and a smile spread across her face. "Relax. I'm not going to. It'd be a waste."

Peter was dumbfounded as she held out her hand. He took it and drew her up. She stepped up to him and splayed her hands across his belly. Standing naked in front of her while she wore her clothes on was one of the most erotic things he could think of. She pressed her nose behind his ear, breathing out once. It made him shiver. She followed that up with kisses behind his ear, along the shell, down his jaw and neck.

She stepped away from him and kicked off her boots. Motioning with her head, he moved to his bed. Once he was settled, he watched her undress. It was slow, as if she really didn't care that he was watching. She didn't pay any attention to him as she pulled at the laces under her left arm. Leather flew over her head, followed by her shirt. It took less time than it had him, but that was due to the fact that she didn't have his mouth all over her body as he had had hers.

He raised himself up on his elbows as she sank to her knees over him. He wanted to touch her but he knew she wouldn't allow it. This was her game and she was in charge of the board. If he made one misstep, she would reset it just as he would. That was the bad part of having a girl in Neverland. They were too clever. He was used to being the only clever one in the group so to have someone who could outwit him was exhilarating and nerve wracking at the same time.

She shoved him onto his back and settled on his lower belly. Untying her hair, she let it hang down in waves over her shoulders. The tips touched his shoulders, rubbing enough that it tickled. She smiled at him, warmth in her silver eyes. He wondered when they had changed back. He could have sworn they were gold when he looked at her across the fire.

"You're in control," he said. It really pained him to say those words. He was the one who had complete control of the magic and the island. He wasn't used to being out of control. Giving her free reign of his body made it that much harder.

Dahlia took those words to heart as she stared down at him. He looked so young, younger than the years that were on him. Reaching down, she ran her hands through his hair, feeling the silk of it through her fingers. He turned his head into her hands, opening his eyes to reveal heat and passion.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Do what you wish," he replied.

"You are never like this. You command and take, play and scheme, devise and calculate. You never give anyone free reign. Why me? Why now when I have you at your weakest? If this is a game, say so now."

"This is not a game. If it were a game, I would have taken what I wanted the moment you walked into this place. You hold all the cards. You can do with me as you wish. Give me pleasure and keep none for yourself. Use me then throw me away. It doesn't matter. It's all up to you."

He was being honest. He didn't care what she did, but he did care if she left him in this state. She could feel what her actions had done. She had excited him, but he wasn't going to use his excitement unless she wanted him to. Yet, he still wasn't saying what he truly wanted.

She gripped him behind his neck and lifted him up. "Tell me what you want."

He looked into her eyes to make sure she understood. "I want you to make love to me." He watched her eyes widen as it sank in. "You choose the pace, the style, and the length."

She sat back, hands resting on his belly. She was tempted to get up and walk away but something in his eyes told her not to. She stretched out along his body, noticing that they fit together. Why she hadn't noticed that before she didn't know but she did now. She felt his heaviness pressing against her belly but it was all right. She was in control of this.

Peter leaned back against his elbows again as he looked down at her. She rested her head against his chest and listened to his heartbeat. One of her hands kept the tempo on his shoulder. He didn't understand what she was doing but he figured it had something to do with what she was thinking/

"Peter," she said.

"Hmmm?"

"Do what you wish."

He reached for her face. When he tilted it up to look her in the eye, she hid nothing from him. She wasn't repeating what he had just said. She was honest. She was giving him something he hadn't thought to ask for before. Pulling his belly to his spine, he tightened his core muscles so he could hold himself up. He took her face in both his hands and pulled her up to him so he could kiss her.

Peter rolled, not breaking the kiss. He pulled her to him, hands spanning her back. Her hands were trapped between them, nails digging into his skin like thorns. He adjusted himself, curling his legs underneath him and pulling her into his lap. Her knees rested on his hips as their feet touched. He trailed his hands up into her hair, freeing her hands to frame his face.

"I can do what I want?" he asked, double checking her mood so he didn't inadvertently piss her off. He had done that once already. There was no point doing it again.

She nodded and his hands went south. She tossed her head back with a silent gasp, and he took advantage of the motion. While his hand set the pace below, he followed it with his mouth on her neck. Her chin caught him on the cheek bone, so he bit into her collar bone. She yelped at the sudden pain and he used his tongue to attempt to ease it.

Dahlia could feel his magic, the magic of Neverland, start to swirl around them. She didn't think Peter understand what was going on. He was lost in her and was losing his tight control on the island. The magic popped on her skin, making little light bubbles and fizzing all over. She had no doubt that he was using his magic to block his sleeping quarters but he was losing control.

"Hey," she said against his temple. His hair was sweaty but he didn't seem to mind. He lifted his head. "Look."

It took a second for him to register her request. When he did, he looked down. He saw the sparkles, light bubbles, and fizz bursting along their skin. He looked a little surprised to have lost control of his magic but a slow smile spread across his face. Removing his hand, he surged upward, catching her by surprise. She slammed her forehead against his at the sudden fullness and felt his laughing breath against her mouth.

"Wolf magic and Neverland magic are combining. You can feel it can't you?" His voice had changed. It wasn't raspy or breathless. This was Peter Pan, master of Neverland and its magic. His hips shot upward. "Werewolf magic is in your blood. Neverland magic is controlled by me. Combined they make this heady combination, perfect for us."

"Trust me, Dahlia," he said as he continued his slow torture. "Trust me like you've never trusted anyone before. See me as who I am. I'm the master of this island, the lord of never ending twilight. I'm the Pied Piper. If I played my pipe, you'd be able to hear it, because our magic has combined."

"How can I trust you when you keep secrets?" she replied, nails digging into his shoulders.

He smiled at the pain, reveling in the fact that she was breaking his skin, drawing blood. She wouldn't hurt anything unless they deserved it. "I keep no secrets from you, wolf master. All you have to do is ask."

"I have asked and yet you refuse to tell me."

He pushed his face against hers. She tried to look down into his face, to keep eye contact, but he was too close so her eyes crossed. He laughed and pressed a kiss to her lips, teeth biting at her lower lip.

He gripped her shoulders and held her into place as he drove into her. Dahlia wrapped her arms around his back, digging into his shoulder blades for anchor. Taking his time had worked for one thing. He had got her talking. He had no doubt that she was able to figure out his schemes, but he always had a backup plan to throw his opponents off.

It was his turn to be thrown off when she threw all her weight against him. He landed on his back with a grunt. She shoved his shoulders down and held him as she sat up. She didn't say anything as she took over the movements. He squeezed his eyes shut at the different sensation. She had tapped into her wolf magic. He could feel it against his skin, like soft fur of a wolf's.

He didn't last long under this new torture. She moved too slowly, dragging every bit of strength from him. He dug his fingers into her thighs as he lost control of his body. She followed soon after. He forced his eyes open so he could look up at her. She tossed her hair over her shoulders as she pulled air into her lungs.

"What's the trick with the prophecy concerning me?" she demanded.

Of course. He smiled when he realized that she had done all of this to get him to talk. She wasn't going to let it go. He rose up on his hands so he could sit up. She shifted lower so she was sitting on his knees. He gripped her hips, thumbs rubbing cricles on her hipbones.

"Do you know why I stay young?" he asked.

"You're immortal. At least that's what Felix says," she replied.

That shocked him. "You talk to Felix?"

"Nope. I heard him telling Henry."

He laughed. Of course she would. She and the boy were glued to the hip when she was around. "I stay young because I have never loved. Of course I love the Lost Boys due to the fact that I take care of them, but I have never been in love. If I fall in love, I lose the magic of Neverland. This place is a place where those who feel unloved go, those who feel abandoned. There are other ways to kill me but that is the one everyone fears. That's why girls aren't allowed in Neverland."

"I thought you said girls weren't allowed because they are too clever."

"They are too clever. They are clever enough to make any man fall in love with them. Take Captain Hook for example. He fell in love with a woman and she died. Love means pain, horrendous pain that makes one useless."

"So if you fall in love?"

He shrugged. "I'll age."


	12. Chapter 12

"Dahlia!" The girl turned around at Henry's voice. He ran up to her, grabbing her leather vest in the process. "Dahlia, you won't believe it."

"Believe what? Henry, calm down. What is it?" she asked. The boy was too excited for his own good. If he didn't want to draw attention to himself, he had to lower his voice.

He seemed to realize it because he tugged her off to the side. He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Pan has a prisoner. He has Wendy Darling locked I a little room on the other side of the island. She says she's sick. I have to go to Skull Rock to save Wendy."

She shook her head. "Wait a minute. Why would he have Wendy here? Wasn't she born a hundred years ago?"

"Time moves differently in this world. She hasn't aged. She looks sixteen. She could have been here a hundred years and not aged."

Dahlia stared at him for a minute. If he was right, then Pan had lied. If he had lied, she was going to wring his neck. Ever since he had told her about her prophecy, he had been in somewhat of a good mood. He didn't ignore her when he was around her. He touched her more, simple things like touching her face, her hair, her hand. He even kissed her sometimes, and right in front of the Lost Boys too.

"Felix!" she called, turning on her heel and going straight to him.

It didn't surprise anyone anymore when she sought him out. He had attacked her the first day Henry was here, but ever since then he'd been a little docile. They had taken to being around each other more and more, seeking each other at night. That was due to the fact that Peter kept them both around each other all the time. He was like a stingy kid who hated sharing his toys.

Felix turned around as she strode over to him. Peter was sitting across the camp and she watched out of the corner of her eye as he lifted his head at her voice. He had been watching her and Henry the entire time even as he cleaned his pipe. Now he was curious. Dahlia ignored him and walked right up to Felix, shoved his hood back from his face, and grabbed his ear. The Lost Boy grunted in pain as she pulled him away from the others. He rubbed his ear when she let go.

"What's your problem?" he asked. "I thought we agreed no manhandling?"

"We said no stripping. Now, is Wendy Darling being kept captive on the island by Pan?" she asked, using the name that Felix would call him by. He crossed his arms over his chest, a clear sign that he wasn't going to talk. "Don't lie to me. I'll know if you do."

"Why do you care?"

"Don't make me beat you with your own club. Is Pan holding Wendy Darling hostage on the island?" His silence was answer enough. "Why? Don't answer that. I want to know why. Henry said she's sick. Is that true?"

"Ask Pan if you want to know the answers."

Irritated by that point, she jabbed her elbow into his diaphragm and walked away. She heard his breath huff out. She walked back to Henry and raised her eyebrows. He pointed to which path it went down. Whistling, she took off at a dead run with her wolves keeping pace right beside her. She had a feeling she knew where he was keeping her. There was always a little section that had repelling magic around it. That must be where he was keeping her.

She slid to a stop at the sight of a cage. Scaling the tree, she looked into it from above. She bit back a curse as she wiped at her mouth. He had lied. Well, he had kept something from her and that was as close to lying as possible. She sat down heavily on the limb, not even scared that it shook under her weight.

"Is someone there?" the terrified voice asked below her.

"It's all right," Dahlia replied tiredly. She propped her head in her hand.

"You're a girl."

"Way to state the obvious."

"Girls aren't supposed to be here. It's forbidden."

"Forbidden how?"

"Peter Pan can never know love. That's how Neverland works. This is a place for those who feel abandoned or don't know love. Peter Pan was such a boy. If he knows love, he will not survive." Wendy craned her neck to look up at Dahlia. "Do you love Peter Pan?"

Dahlia thought about that a moment. Did she love Peter Pan? She had spent the better part of three weeks learning about herself. She hadn't known anything about her parentage before coming here. Now she knew what she descended from and she knew how to control it. Well, control it somewhat. But as for loving someone, she had never had any experience in that area. Everyone she had loved had been taken from her. She hadn't dared get close to anyone in the group home because she had never known when they would go to another foster family. It had always been just her.

Coming to Neverland had opened her eyes to so many things. Friendship was a big one. Meeting Henry had made being here worthwhile. Although they had only known each other for a week, he felt like a little brother. She and Felix had formed an odd bond after he had attacked her. They argued with each other over trivial things but it meant nothing. Then there was Pan. She had forged a bond with him that she hadn't had with anyone. She had shared her body with boy since she had met him, considering they had slept together the fourth night she had been here. It meant something.

"Are you still there?" Wendy asked.

"I'm here," Dahlia replied. "The answer to your question is I don't know. I don't know if I love Peter Pan."

"If you do, leave now because if you don't, you will end up like me."

"Why are you here exactly? I thought he sent you home."

"The stories are very wrong compared to real life. I traded my life for my brothers'. I didn't want them staying here with Peter. I don't trust him and you shouldn't either."

"I'll do my best to help you."

"Don't worry about me. Get the boy off the island. Peter is going to use him to bring Neverland to the real world."

"I'm going to kill him. I'll be back for you."

She started down the tree again. When she was almost all the way down, she nicked her wrist on a vine. Wincing in pain she dropped to the ground and took off at a run back for the camp. Her arm throbbed something fierce as she walked back into camp. Henry came running over when he saw her.

"You look pale," he said.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Where is he?"

"He left a few minutes ago. I think he went after you."

"I didn't see him on the paths." She sucked in a breath as her arm throbbed even more.

Henry looked nervous. "Felix! Someone!"

She sat down hard on the ground, the pain in her rear barely registering to the pain in her arm. Her head swam and she shivered. It wasn't a cold day so she shouldn't be cold. She ran her hand over her forehead and it came away wet. She was sweating. Why was she sweating? She hadn't sweated running the paths before.

Suddenly Felix was in her face. He was speaking to her but she couldn't make out what he was saying. Her ears buzzed as magic started sweeping through her bloodstream. It burned like hot fire. She couldn't bite back a scream as her arm started to burn. She looked up at Henry. He was nervous and scared, and she didn't know why. What was going on that would scare the kid.

Felix muttered something to her then everything went dark.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Peter followed Loras back into camp at a dead run. He stopped by the fire and looked around, desperate to find someone. He had gone to see Wendy to see if Dahlia had come to see her. When the other girl confirmed his suspicions, he had started back for camp. Dahlia was messing with things she didn't understand. He had to have a serious conversation with her about how things worked in Neverland.

He was halfway back when Loras met him on the path. The wolf would have never sought him out if something wasn't wrong with his master. He had taken off at a dead run to get back to camp. She would have gone back with the information she had. She would have gone right back to Henry. The boy would know what was going on.

He turned around a couple of more times in search for someone.

"Peter."

He turned at his name. Felix was standing back at his cove wringing his hands in a rag. He wasn't smiling and that wasn't good. Also, Felix wouldn't use his name if something wasn't wrong. He ran to his friend.

"Where is she?"

He didn't wait for an answer as he pushed past his friend. Dahlia was laying in his bedroll covered in the skins. She was sweating profusely. One arm was wrapped in white bandages. Henry was using a rag to wipe at the sweat but he wasn't making any leeway. Peter sank down beside the boy.

"What happened?" he asked looking up at his friend. Felix motioned with both his head and his hands at the girl's arm. Peter looked at it then reached for it, slowly peeling back the bandage. Black spider veins started from her wrist and ventured up her arm. "Dreamshade."

"She knew about Dreamshade didn't she?" Felix asked.

"I told her about it but I never told her what to look for." He ran his hands through his hair. "She had to have gotten into it when she went to visit Wendy."

"You should know something." Felix waited until he turned to look at him again. "She ran back. That should have pushed the poison to her heart immediately. Instead it has stopped in her arm. I think it may be the wolf magic."

There was a whining. Rosie shifted through the curtain and crawled on her belly into the cove. She stopped by Dahlia's head and lay down. Loras was still beside Peter. Being the next in line of dominancy meant it was his job to protect. He nosed at the bandage until he loosened it. He eyed the black veins then started licking at it. Right then Dahlia screamed. Rosie shifted closer, pushing her nose into the girl's neck as her mate continued licking the wound.

The three gathered watched as the inky blackness started to slowly recede. Henry started bathing her skin again as she started to sweat even more. Felix slid to his knees to grab her feet as she started to flail. Peter was left without anything to do as Rosie lay on Dahlia's chest to hold her down. He watched as the animals and two boys did what they could to make sure she was all right.

The screams eased into whimpers. Loras lifted his head and howled. Rosie answered the howl. All around them more wolves joined in their song. Henry cried out and jumped back. Peter looked down. Dahlia's eyes were opened but her eyes were bright, bright gold. Something about the howl had triggered more wolf magic. They waited. Loras lowered his head.

"Felix," Peter said. "Look outside."

Felix did as he was asked. He stumbled back, something that was completely unlike him. "There are twenty wolves out there."

"Her pain has brought them out of the woods and to her. They answered Loras's call. I think they'll form a pack around her."

"It will be harder to send her home. These wolves will only listen to her."

"She's coming to," Henry said, breaking them of their conversation.

Peter crowded the boy as Dahlia groaned in pain. She blinked a couple of times and her eyes slowly turned back to gray. She sighed then turned her head to look at Henry. A ghost of a smile spread across her lips. She tries to sit up but all three of them pushed her back.

"Stay still for a couple of hours," Peter said. "We need to make sure all of the poison is out."

"Poison?" Her voice was really raspy, like she hadn't used it in a couple of days. "What happened?"

"You scratched your arm on Dreamshade," Felix replied. "Most people who are infected by it don't live. Luckily for you, your wolf magic healed you. You're going to be weak for a couple of days. Take it easy." He started to get up but her hand grabbed his wrist weakly. "What is it?"

"Thanks. I don't remember what you said but thanks."

Henry laughed. "He said that if you didn't hang on, Pan was going to kill him."

Dahlia smiled again. "Still."

Peter was dumbfounded as his second smiled and framed her face with his hand. Usually the Lost Boy was secluded from everyone, not getting close to any of the others. Seeing him treat the girl he had attacked with gentleness was confusing. Felix left the three alone, wading his way through wolves on his way back to the fire.

"Henry," he said. "Go get Dahlia something to drink. She'll need to stay hydrating for the next few hours."

Dahlia nodded to the younger boy and he left them. Peter shifted up, propping his knee up and draping one arm across it. He rested the knuckles of his other hand against her cheek, feeling the fever of the poison. He rubbed his thumb over her skin.

"This is my fault," he said. "I should have told you what Dreamshade looked like. If you had known, you wouldn't have climbed the tree to see Wendy."

"Why didn't you tell me about Wendy?" she asked. "It was information I needed. And why is she in a cage? I thought you liked her."

"I do like Wendy, but I need her."

"For leverage."

"Dahlia."

"Why did you lie? I asked if there was another girl and you said no."

"I never slept with Wendy. It's been centuries since I slept with a woman. You were the first."

"Wendy said you were going to take her brothers, John and Michael? Is that true?" He lowered his eyelids. She knew the answer. "Why? You have fifteen boys that are all your own. Why did you need the Darling boys?" He removed his hand and started picking at his pants. "Peter, answer me. Why did you need the Darling boys?"

"I send the shadow out to collect boys who don't feel loved. John and Michael didn't feel loved by their father so I sent the shadow to collect them. I thought they'd feel more welcomed if they came to Neverland. Instead Wendy came. She swore she was going to protect her brothers no matter what."

"So you took her instead?"

"You have to understand, Dahlia. The shadow is a part of me. It has a mind of its own though. It takes boys who are unloved and unwanted. Sometimes I tell it to do so. Sometimes it does it on its own. That was one of the cases. It had a mind of its own. It wanted the Darling boys."

"Yet, you can command it."

"Yes, I can command it. It does my bidding from miles, worlds away."

"When are you taking Henry to Skull Rock?"

He sighed, knowing she was going to put the pieces together. She was very good at what she did. "I thought about doing it tonight. I showed it to him last night when he found Wendy. But since you would insist on going with us to Skull Rock, I don't think I'm going to do it now."

"I'm fine. I'll go with you."

Peter laughed. "You were just poisoned with Dreamshade. Normally men would have died within hours with the way you run. The poison runs through the bloodstream until it reaches the heart. Then it spreads throughout the body until it shuts down all of the organs." He lifted her arm and unwrapped the bandage. "With a wound this size, Dreamshade could have taken out a whole elephant. You were lucky."

Dahlia stared up at him as she tried to figure out what to say. He had been so good until now. He hadn't done anything to harm her. She tried to see the good in him. There was so much good, but he was Peter Pan. He was mischievous and cruel. He had killed two people to get his hands on Henry and had taken a teenage girl captive.

Tossing back the skins, she dislodged Rosie who was still on her chest. The wolf didn't want to move but Dahlia urged her to do so. When the wolf was gone, she gathered her feet under her and tried to stand. Her knees buckled and she started to fall.

"I told you, you are weak," Peter said as he caught her arm before she hit her head. "You shouldn't be moving around. Let your body heal."

"If it's anything like what happened with Loras, it'll heal once I eat. Take me out to the fire," she said.

Peter knew he wasn't going to win this argument so he grabbed his tiger skin and wrapped it around her. Once it was secured, he picked her up. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her head in his neck. He stepped through his magic, disintegrating it as he went. There was no point in keeping it up when she wasn't in there.

The Lost Boys crowded around them as he came towards the fire. They were all talking at once about how it would be a girl who lived through Dreamshade poisoning. They all knew there was only one known cure for Dreamshade. If the drinker left the island, they would die anyway. It was either live on the island for the rest of their life or die in their own world. Dahlia would do neither. The werewolf blood in her veins healed her better than the cure ever would. And she could return home.

He set her down on his rock and adjusted the skin around her. She swatted at his hand to get her to leave her alone but he wasn't about to do it. She could have died and it would have been his fault because he had been too stupid to say anything more about Dreamshade. He noticed the new wolves lay around the edges of the camp, uncertain whether to go or stay.

Henry plopped down beside her. She smiled at him and wrapped the tiger pelt around him. He nestled into her side and stared into the fire. He was going to insist that she come with them to Skull Rock. The kid was adamant in that, had been since the night before when he had gone. Dahlia had been asleep when he had taken him. She would have strangled him if she had known.

He watched as Barry and Devin brought everyone who had been in Peter's cove something to eat. They brought Dahlia more food than anyone. She picked at it at first, but as more and more got into her system, she ate more. Slowly her strength returned. They could tell by the gold tint to her eyes.

"Are you still taking the boy?" Felix asked.

Peter nodded. "Yeah, I'll be taking him. I have a feeling she's going to go with us."

"Do you need a chaperone for her? I can tell you're worried. Nothing will harm her while you're around."

"Do you really believe that? I mean look at what happened. She was nearly killed by Dreamshade."

Felix sighed in agitation. "Must I always be the one to show you the other side of things? Pan, you're the master of manipulation and planning ninety million things at once. Yet you can't see the simple things such as if you take her to Skull Rock and she sees what you're going to have Henry do, she will attack you. That boy means more to her than you do. You may sleep with her, and you may be feeling agony due to the fact that you… What is it?" He had watched the boy shiver.

"Someone left the island."

"Should we stop them?"

"There's no point now. They're already gone. We just have to up our time table." He looked back at the fire. "Felix, come with us. Dahlia will need your help."


	13. Chapter 13

Peter turned around again. It was the fourth time in the last hour. After they had eaten and he had figured she had her strength back, he had gathered Henry and Felix. They had set off just after dawn, Henry keeping pace with Peter. Felix had been asked to come because he was going to carry Dahlia. She had put up a fuss but in the end she rode on Felix's back.

It was amazing how much nothing could lead to something. The arguments that had gone on between the two had been monumental. Sometimes it brought about fights. Those fights had always been fun to watch. As she had gotten stronger, Dahlia had gotten better at predicting Felix's moves. It helped that she was limber enough to move out of his way when he swung his club. That had been the real reason she had taken him down enough times to piss him off.

It had been after Henry had arrived that their relationship had started off worse then progressed. Felix had attacked her and they all thought that she would shy away from or hate him. It actually had been a surprise when she started seeking him out at the campfire at night. It had only been a few days since Henry had arrived but it seemed like a lifetime. Even after Peter had started forcing them together, he hadn't realized how strong things were becoming.

When he had come back into camp after Dahlia's wolf had come for him, he had been shocked to see Felix taking care of her. It shocked him more when he saw his second smiling and touching her gently. Felix hadn't done that ever. Peter had never gotten seriously injured. The magic of Neverland always healed him so he never really needed a nursemaid. So to see this meant his second was discovering things about himself he never knew.

As they had gone through the jungle, Felix had been relegated to carrying Dahlia when she was tired of walking. They had walked behind Peter and Henry most of the journey and mostly in silence. When they had stopped so Henry could pull a rock from his shoe, they had argued. Peter had watched as Felix manhandled Dahlia onto his back. He locked his arms under her legs and started walking again. Dahlia had started yapping into his ear about how much of a brute he was. She even caught him in the jaw with one of her fists. In the end she had settled down and rested against her chin against his head.

Dahlia's laughter rang out in the forest. Peter looked back to find Felix sprawled out on the ground. Dahlia was on top of him, trying her best to get off his back. Her laughter was making it harder for her to do so. She finally sat back in the grass so he could roll to his feet. He extended his hands. When he jerked her up, she did a move and landed on his back again. She winced a little as she jarred her arm. Felix nodded at him and they continued on.

When they got to Skull Rock, Dahlia slid off Felix's back. Felix rolled his shoulders then sat down beside her. He broke a piece of fruit and handed it to her. Peter envied the sudden ease in which they talked. Dahlia hadn't talked much to him since she had found out he was keeping Wendy. He wasn't certain he could figure out what she was planning. She was becoming too much like him.

"Loras, quit lurking about. I've known you were there for some time," he said.

The wolf snarled at him as he padded from the thick underbrush. Well, at least someone hadn't lost his touch. The wolf was angry at him for upsetting his master. He was still slightly shocked that she had brought a whole pack into his camp when she was sick. That had only been a few hours ago. He wasn't certain if the rest of them were out there somewhere.

"It seems your pet has angered Pan," Felix said as Loras sat on his feet.

Dahlia ran her fingers through Loras's thick white fur. She grabbed his face then raked her teeth across his nose. "Stop being a butt." His tongued lolled out of his mouth. "Cheeky."

Peter walked over and knelt in front of them. Loras looked at him sideways then growled. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

He frowned. Being short with him wasn't going to make the trip any easier. He sucked on his teeth to make give him time to think things through. Felix watched him with a knowing smile. Sometimes he just wanted to hit his right hand. He stood up suddenly.

"We'll set up camp here on the shore. We have to wait until midnight. That's when the magic is strongest."

"The witching hour," Dahlia and Henry muttered at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled.

Felix frowned. "The witching hour? What is that?"

"It's what we call midnight back home. It's when the moon is at its highest. It's said that any type of magic can be harnessed during the witching hour," Dahlia explained. "That's the reason you wanted him to do it tonight. There's a full moon back home. You're planning on using the magic of Neverland to take you to our world."

Peter was downright stunned that she had figured it out. She stood. "Where are you going?" She got about five paces away from him before she stumbled. "Dahlia, you're too weak. You can't go off by yourself."

"Watch me!"

"You're too stubborn sometimes!"

"And you're a rotten bastard who doesn't know when to stop!"

"I'll go get her," Felix said and he jumped up to follow after her.

Peter turned around to find Henry watching him. He didn't say much but whatever he was thinking was in his eyes. He wondered what had been said between them in the hours before they had set out. All Henry knew was that the two of them had spent plenty of time together. He had never really seen them fight. Now that the stakes were higher tensions were higher as well.

Felix returned shaking his head. How he had lost Dahlia wasn't really a surprise. She had become incredibly accustomed to going out on her own without thinking about what she was doing. Fear that she would fall into Dreamshade again overtook him.

"She knows what it looks like now," Felix said. "She won't be that stupid again. Mind the boy."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Dahlia walked slowly through the forest. Finding a hidden camp was like trying to find a green needle in a sea full of blue. It was almost impossible because the colors were so similar. Finding an empty camp Neverland was like trying to find an inhabited cave among thousands. The Lost Boys had many sentry camps located throughout the island. They always moved camps depending on where Pan put them.

Touching Loras's head, she ordered the wolf to howl. She waited for the answering howls to figure out which one was closest. That would be where they were camping. Loras went ahead of her as he followed the scent of the other wolf. Slipping easily into her wolf blood, she used her heightened senses to follow the path herself. It led her right into their camp.

There were two extra ones with them now, the older man she saw with Neal and another dark haired woman. They all stood around the fire arguing about something, probably the way they were going to get Henry back. She watched them, Henry's family. They had come all this way to save him. She began to wonder what it would be like to have someone come searching for her. She had decided a long time ago that her roommate had quit after a week or two. Henry was really lucky.

She walked into the camp, hands in the air. She realized she was walking into the lion's den but it was to help Henry. She felt the swell of magic as the woman and the man summoned their dark powers. Her eyes had to be bright gold as the wolf magic swam in her bloodstream.

"Wait! Regina, wait!" Emma ran over and stopped the new dark haired woman from advancing. She could have told her it wouldn't have mattered. There was a whole pack of wolves out there waiting for a fight.

"Who is she?" Regina asked.

"Her name is Dahlia. She's been living with Pan. She's been protecting Henry."

"Girls aren't supposed to be in Neverland," the older man said.

Dahlia sighed but Neal spoke up first. "It's a long story. How is Henry?"

"He was fine when I left him."

"Left him?" Regina demanded. "Left him? Where did you leave him?"

"He's with Peter at Skull Rock," Dahlia replied.

"You left him with Peter Pan?" Neal's father growled.

Hook jumped in front of her. "Stop it. She's been poisoned by Dreamshade."

She lifted her sleeve to show the faded black veins. "I was poisoned by Dreamshade. The wolf magic healed me. It still doesn't ease your pain that I left him but Peter won't hurt him. He needs him too badly to hurt him. I honestly didn't know you were his family when Neal and he took him from the camp. If I had I wouldn't have tracked you. I wasn't in the camp when the sleeping spell was cast so it didn't affect me."

"Did you track us back to this camp?" Mary Margaret asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, I did. It was harder this time because of the poisoning and I couldn't let them figure out where I was going. They know I've met you but they don't know what's been said between us."

"Pan's got to know that you've been searching for us, love. He wouldn't just let you walk away," Hook said.

Dahlia laughed. "I left them at Skull Rock because Peter is going to use Henry to open a portal between Neverland and my world. He's going to flood my world with Neverland magic. I don't know what he wants after that."

"Neverland magic is so potent that it will stop the aging of anyone Pan wishes," Neal said. "He can also make anyone Lost Boys. It will be one big massive party."

"Except the girls," Emma said. She turned to look at Dahlia. "You said your wolf magic was too strong so you couldn't hear his pipe. Would that be true for everyone?"

Neal shook his head. "The pipe only works on boys who feel unloved or unwanted. Girls are said to be too clever."

"Then how did she get here?" Regina asked.

Dahlia didn't get a chance to answer as a wolf howled. Loras howled in response. "I have to go back. Felix will be out looking for me soon. Neal, have you been to the other side of the island?"

He nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"Peter is holding Wendy Darling in a cage on the other side. I have a feeling it's much like the one you were in a day or so ago."

"Pan has Wendy?" Emma asked.

Dahlia nodded. "Yes, he's been holding her for a century. She told Henry that she was sick. He's going to help Peter to save her. When he does, well, you know the rest."

"Are you still going to protect Henry?" David asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to protect Henry with my last breath. Please. Just get Wendy out of here. I'm afraid to think about what's going to happen to her." Another wolf howled. "I have to go."

She didn't care how bad it hurt when she took to the trees. She sent Loras back by a different route. If they were caught together, Felix would simply track one of their trails. He couldn't track tree paths so it would be easier. About halfway back, she dropped to the path, too weak to continue in the trees. Her knees buckled and she sat down hard. She knew this feeling and it didn't sit well.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there when Felix showed up. He sighed as he scooped her up. Sleep threatened to overtake her but she fought it off. She had to make sure Henry was all right. Felix was gentle as he walked back through the woods. He was surefooted so he didn't bump her arm too much.

"You knew you were too weak to go through the trees," he said, "yet you did. Where did you go?'

"Wandering is what I do when he makes me mad," she replied.

"Who did you talk to?"

"The wolves. They are my constant companions if you haven't noticed."

He didn't pressure her anymore which was a good thing. When they walked back to camp, he set her down beside the fire and threw a cloak over her. Henry shifted up against her, his head dropping to her shoulder. She hurt all over. Maybe they had been right. Maybe she should have stayed back at the camp.

"Dahlia." She turned at Peter's voice. He was sitting under a tent with a bedroll out. "Come here."

She looked down at Henry. He smiled up at her and nodded. She draped the cloak around his shoulders and went to the boy. He drew her down to sit beside him, tucking her under his shoulder. He pulled the cloak he had around the both of them and rested his cheek against her head.

"Tomorrow you will be back in your world," he said.

"What do you want with my world?" she asked.

"You said you wanted to go back. This is how I'm sending you back."

She sat back and looked at him. "You would be that selfless? Even when you have another girl caged on the island? What are you going to do? Use her next?"

"What…" His mouth opened in surprise and has eyes took on a wicked gleam. "Are… are you jealous?"

"Why should I be jealous of a girl who looks like a constant sixteen year old?"

"I'm a constant nineteen year old." He laughed when she tucked herself back against him. "You want to protect Henry while he's doing this. I understand. I want to protect him too."

"You want to use him. What's so important about this?"

"He's the savior of magic. I've told you this already."

"I know but any other information you're not exactly forthcoming."

"You'll know when you're meant to. Now rest. I'll wake you when it's time."

Dahlia hated the way he always played things down. One of these days he was going to get what was coming to him. She felt his fingers playing in her hair, enticing her to sleep. That was more potent than magic.


	14. Chapter 14

Peter watched Henry wade into the low tide of Skull Rock. It was almost midnight. Once the time came, the tide would roll in. Then it would be time for him to start everything. He could taste the tension in the air. Henry would be the beacon for what he planned to do. But it wasn't Henry he was concerned about.

He looked behind him. Felix hadn't dropped Dahlia since she had returned to camp. Even when they had gotten on the boat, the Lost Boy had kept his hand firmly twisted in the collar of her shirt. He had tugged her with him when he had gotten out of the boat and put her on his back. For Felix to do something like that meant one of two things. He was either planning a getaway for him and Dahlia if she didn't like what was going on or he was going to kill her. Felix wouldn't normally kill a girl but he would if it meant keeping Pan safe.

As it was, they were talking once again. Dahlia's arms were draped over his shoulders, her chin buried in his collar bone. She said something that made Felix shake his head. He turned his head to say something. Peter felt a zing of jealousy as Dahlia bit his first's ear in retaliation for saying something snide. She couldn't do much else because Felix had her legs and she was at a bad angle to hit him with her fists. It still didn't ease the jealousy.

Howling told him the pack was close. Loras was still on the main land, probably pacing a hole in the shore. His agitation would have summoned the rest of them. His howl would signal his location for them to find him. There would be twenty-two wolves waiting for them.

Peter flicked his wrist and the wood near them exploded into flames. Felix sidestepped then and tightened his arms. A chill went through him. It was midnight. The tide was starting to roll in much earlier than that but now it was at full force. This whole cavern would be under water in minutes. The fires would be extinguished and they wouldn't be able to see.

There was another sound, something more ominous. Peter waded into the water and looked out over the bay. A boat was coming their way. And Emma was on it, her blond hair a beacon in the constant twilight. He turned to Dahlia. She was oblivious to him as she continued mocking Felix. But the other Lost Boy knew something was up.

He had to figure out a way to speed up the process. His magic could only do so much. He couldn't harm Henry because then he wouldn't do what he needed him to do. He was stuck with only one other possibility. He looked at Felix. Without a word the Lost Boy walked over and dropped Dahlia to the ground. She looked up at him and was about to say something when Peter grabbed her wrist and sliced a strip along her palm.

She stared at him with large eyes as he dripped her blood into the water. The water started coming in harder and faster. Her shock changed to anger as gold filled her eyes. Her first target was Felix. She kicked his feet out from under him and caught him in the ribs. He went down hard. Then she turned on him. He wasn't prepared for the fury of wolf magic.

She caught him by the throat, her thumbs pressing on his jugular. She cut off his air flow and could easily crush his trachea if he didn't have one more trick up his sleeve. She was sitting on his arms but he could still flick his wrists. She went flying but flipped at the last minute to land on the balls of her feet not too far from him.

"What are you doing?" Henry yelled. The water was up to his waist and steadily rising higher.

"It's all right, Henry," Peter said. "The funny thing about Neverland is I control its magic. You may have pinned me but I can summon it with just a thought. You thought you could dispose of me."

"What was so special about my blood?" she demanded as she stood.

"You have wolf magic. I can use it to step up the process so I did. In your present state, you're too weak to stop me. If you had been a little faster, you might have killed me. Be glad you didn't though."

"What are you talking about?"

"All those nights you lay with me, you thought we were just pleasing our baser urges. Well we were, but there was one added bonus." He waited until she was right in front of him again. "All those times I was binding your life force to mine. If I am killed, you will die as well. Your wolf magic can't protect you now."

Dahlia stared at him, at the maniacal smirk on his face. He had played her. Something about that hurt but she couldn't place it. She closed her eyes and waited for the blow that didn't come. She looked back at him.

"You think I'm going to hit you? You don't know me very well. I don't hit women."

"No, you just lock them up for a hundred years," she shot back.

By the time he shut his mouth, the boat carrying everyone hit the rocks. The others spilled out. Not surprisingly, Loras jumped out as well. Dahlia whistled at him to come to her side. He did so grudgingly but he snapped at Peter as he did so.

"Henry!" Emma yelled. "Get out of the water!"

"There's no need in yelling at him," Peter said. "He can't even if he tried."

"What are you doing, Pan? Give me my son back."

"I'm curious as to how you knew we were going to be here." He didn't let anyone answer as he turned to the girl he had done so many things with. "You told them, didn't you? You met them in the woods a couple of days ago. That's why you wiped your trail. You didn't want me to find them."

"I didn't know who they were. They surrounded me in the camp. Then they asked me to protect Henry when I told them I'd been with you for weeks," Dahlia said. She walked towards him. She reached for his hand.

"Peter?" They both looked at Wendy as she walked in with Neal. Peter was at a loss when Dahlia turned away. Wendy walked forward. "Peter, why are you doing this? You always were such a gentle person. Why this? Why use this boy?"

He didn't answer when he heard a splash. He turned around and watched as Dahlia swam towards Henry. He watched as she pulled him to her and started back towards the shore. The tide knocked them back.

"Henry!" Emma and Regina ran towards the water but he knocked them back. "Let us through, Pan! Give me my son!"

"I can't do that. He's fulfilling his destiny," he said. They rushed him again, and again he knocked them back. "You don't get it! This is what he's supposed to do. You can't stop it."

"What about the girl, Pan?" Neal asked. "Don't you feel anything for her? She's been with you this entire time. She learned your lands. She learned to read you. Don't you feel anything for her?"

Peter turned to look at the waters. The two were holding on to each other like they had nothing else to live for. They were talking, like they weren't about to be sucked into another world, their world. He was tempted to jump in but he needed a few more minutes. So he turned back to the others.

"She means nothing to me. Just a passing fancy," he said.

Hook scoffed. "That's a beautiful lie, mate, but I can see it in your eyes. You know what will happen."

"Keep your drivel to yourself, Hook. Like I want to hear romance advice from a one armed drunk. Felix?"

The second came alive in an instant. He took out Neal, Hook, Emma and Mary Margaret in an instant. Regina, Gold, and David were the last ones standing. He watched as they squared off. Finally Gold came at him.

"Come now, Rumple, you know the rules. Wait for the party to begin," he said.

"Wait!" Wendy cried. The guys stopped and looked at her. "Peter, stop causing all this trouble. You're a good man. Let us see that. Set them free. Stop this and let them go."

He framed her face. "I can't."

"You can."

"Fine then. I won't."

"Neal was right," Regina said. "What about the girl? You've never behaved like this before."

Emma got to her feet and brushed off her pants. Felix stopped her. "You have to have felt something for her, Pan. Or else you wouldn't have kept her around."

"I couldn't send her home! That's the only reason she's still around!" Peter replied.

"Of course you couldn't send her home," Hook said. "She was your destiny. You had a choice. You could continue ruling Neverland or you would fall in love and grow up. Love is your weakness, Pan."

"Shut up," Felix growled before hitting the man in the temple with his club.

There was a crack. Peter whirled around to find the water swirling. Dahlia clutched at Henry in the middle of it. She grabbed hold of a rock as the swirling picked up. Henry wrapped his arms around the girl's neck as she tried to keep her hold. It wasn't easy because the rocks around her were wet as well.

"What have you done, Pan?" Gold asked as he watched his grandson hold on for life while he was helpless to do anything.

"What I want. That's always been the name of the game, Rumple," he said with a smile.

"You'll kill them both!"

Henry's cry of terror filled the cave as he and Dahlia went under the water. Peter's heart dropped. He took a step towards the swirling liquid but stopped. She had called to him. He wasn't sure if she would. He had upset her. He had kept secrets. First about her, then about Wendy, and finally again about what he had done to her. All of it had been for his game. He wanted to bring magic back to Neverland no matter what. He had a one track mind when it came to getting what he wanted.

Wendy walked up to him. He knew it was her because of the softness that invaded his senses. These two women were completely different. Wendy was soft and feminine, only becoming a monster when she needed to protect her brothers. Dahlia wasn't like that. Descended from wolf blood made her strong and courageous. She had taken to being in Neverland like anyone would. Instead of crying about it, she had learned the land, learned how to defend herself. She had also learned to hunt, track, move through the trees with no one knowing where she was going, and many other things. She had also learned the one thing no one, not even Felix, knew.

She had learned to play his game. She had changed the rules on him, played his game against him. She had dug so far into him that he sometimes didn't know where he began and she ended even when they weren't touching.

Henry cried out again as he lost his grip on Dahlia's neck. He started drifting towards the middle of the vortex. Dahlia shoved off the rock and grabbed his hand. She said something to him and he nodded his head vigorously. She yanked him to her then kicked as hard as she could. When she returned to rock, she shoved Henry to it and braced him against it. Henry held on like a spider monkey even as the water crashed against him.

They both looked up as something cracked above of them. A rock broke off from the ceiling. Dahlia shoved Henry around the rock but it caught her in her bad arm. She screamed and jerked it to her chest. The motion pulled her away from Henry and towards the vortex. Henry screamed her name and shoved off.

"No!"

Peter didn't realize it was his voice until after he had jumped into the water. He used his magic to propel him towards them. He wrapped one arm around Henry.

"Are you all right?" he asked, though he wasn't sure the kid could hear him over the rushing water.

"I'm fine, but Dahlia's not. Get her," Henry replied. He spit out more water after it nearly drowned him.

Peter hooked the boy's arms around his neck and swam towards the vortex. As soon as he reached for her, they were sucked through.


	15. Chapter 15

Dahlia felt like she had been hit by a Mack truck. Her head throbbed once again, her body ached, and her arm burned. She shivered. Oh, yeah. She had been trying to stay afloat in a whirlpool that Peter Pan had created.

Peter Pan!

She tried to sit up but a dead weight held her down. She opened her eyes. Henry was wrapped around her like a boa wraps around its prey. She ran her hands through his hair, messing the already messy, wet strands up even more. He lifted his head and smiled down at her. There was a groan and she shifted immediately, taking Henry with her. Peter rubbed his head to make sure it wasn't bleeding.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Peter replied. "What about you?" He grabbed for her injured arm. She winced at his touch but let him have it. He lifted the sleeve. Black veins raced up her arm once again. "The wolf magic didn't work."

"I know." He looked up at her. She stared at him with an even gaze. "It came back a few hours before we even left. I couldn't tell you. You were too focused on getting the portal opened. Felix knew. That's why he carried me."

"It's also why he went to look for you when you were gone. I thought your wolf magic would make it easier for you to heal."

"Not all poisons are meant to heal, Peter. Some are meant to kill. Dreamshade seems to be one of them." She looked around. They were sitting in the middle of a street. "Where are we?"

Henry looked around. "We're in Storybrooke. But where are my moms?"

"They'll be following shortly." Peter tilted his head to the wind. "Neverland magic is here." He took Dahlia's face in his hands. "I can heal you."

"Do you know why there's a good and a bad to all of this? Why there's a good and a bad to Neverland? Neverland is good because it gives people a place to go in their dreams. It's always been this wonderful place where we can swim with mermaids, ride a pirate ship with Captain Hook, powwow with the Indians, and fly with Peter Pan. It's a place where we can always be children. But even children have to grow up sometime."

"I haven't grown up."

She smiled. "I know, and that's the sad part. Growing up means making friends, laughing at the good times and crying at the bad. We fall in love, get married, have kids, and watch their children grow up. Some even get to watch their children's children have children. It also means growing old with that one person. Then, when all is said and done, we die. We're always alone in the end, no matter if we have a million people beside us when we go. Everyone dies. Not even immortals can live forever."

Peter looked at her then looked down at her arm. The black veins looked so out of place on her white skin. He looked up into her face and saw that she understood what it all meant. He pulled her arm over his shoulder and picked her up. She winced slightly but didn't say anything.

"How did we get back?" Henry asked as he stood up with Peter.

"The whirlpool in Skull Rock," Dahlia said. "It was a portal. He used it to bring magic back to Neverland. It was also a link to this world. He planned to flood our world with Neverland."

"You're too intelligent for your own good sometimes," Peter said.

"Not everyone can read Peter Pan," Henry said way too excitedly. "Take her to my home."

"You will not step foot in my house."

Peter whirled around to find Felix tossed at his feet. Everyone had come back. They formed a line against him. There wasn't much he could do with the girl in his arms. He glanced down at her. The poison was spreading faster than he thought possible. She wasn't even doing anything and it was already halfway up her arm.

"Felix," he said. The other boy stood. He passed Dahlia off to him. "She's still suffering. Take her some place safe."

"No," she argued. "I'm staying." The boys passed a look over her head. "Felix, if you listen to him, I will beat you with your club. Do not take me away from Henry."

Peter closed his eyes and let all his emotions fall away. He walked past Felix, who had shifted Dahlia to his back, and extended his hand to Henry. The boy took it. Immediately he took his knife and drew its blade across the boy's palm. Henry yelped as he tipped his hand palm down and squeezed. When there was a little pool in his hand, he tossed it up in the air. Henry's blood mixed with the magic coursing around him. He inhaled it, felt it go deep into his system.

"What did you do?" Emma demanded.

"I put the last piece of the game into play," he said. "Henry's blood has tied me to all the magic around. Nothing you do can hurt me."

Dahlia watched as Peter goaded everyone. He started talking, his fifteen thought processes firing on all pistons. She was trying to match his movements, trying to figure out what he was going to do now. He wanted to bring Neverland magic into their world. He had done so. She knew he had at least four possible plans for how this would end. Three of them were about him winning. He was playing to win. That was the name of the game.

She watched as everyone went to attack him. His arrogance was going to get the best of him. The way he was taunting people was going to get him into some serious trouble. He could die. If he did, that meant she would. She looked down at her arm, at the way the black covered her lower arm and a little ways up her elbow. If the poison didn't kill her first, he would.

"Has he ever bound someone to him before?" she asked.

"Not to himself, no. He has bound someone to Neverland though," Felix replied. "You didn't tell him you were dying."

"You didn't tell him either."

"I didn't know he had bound you to him."

"I didn't know either." She knocked her head against his. "Is there any way to get through to him? He's going to get us both killed."

"We don't know if his binding spell goes both ways. We know that if he dies, you will as well. We don't know that if you die so will he. We won't know until it happens." He gripped her arm and examined it. "Would it be so bad to live in Neverland with us? From what I understand, you have no family. It seems your wolf magic only works in Neverland or the Enchanted Forest."

"If that's so, then it's too bad. I've lived in a world without wolf magic before. I can do it again."

Felix exhaled in agitation but didn't push the issue. She could feel him buzzing with energy. He wanted to be out there fighting with his friend. Peter meant a lot to the boy. It didn't surprise her. Felix had been with him since the beginning. That was centuries ago. They had been building the Lost Boys together. Felix was the person Peter talked to about everything.

Something grabbed at her when she saw Wendy walk out from behind the line fighting Pan. The girl's curly blond hair and bright blue eyes were a stark contrast to her dark hair and dark gray eyes. There was no wonder that Peter had wanted her. She was beautiful. The sunlight caught her hair and made it shine like a halo. She walked right up to Peter and he stopped what he was doing.

Agitation clawed at her gut when she saw the way he looked at her. It was like something had gone on between them, something more than he claimed. Felix hitched her higher on his back, tightening his arms around her legs. He felt her agitation. She must have done something to tell him what she was feeling.

They both watched as the conversation took place.

"Let these people go," Wendy said. "Go back to Neverland where you can live in peace."

"You don't get it. There is no peace while the Dark One and the Evil Queen live. They want magic all to themselves," he replied.

"And you don't? You have always been power hungry, in search for the next big thing. You're just a lost boy, Peter. You are the original lost boy. You wanted nothing more than to be loved so you went in search for it. You wanted a family so you made one with Felix," she motioned to the blond man behind Peter, "and with all the other boys. You wanted a family all your own. You wanted to be loved by someone."

She stepped up to him and took his hands in hers. "I tried to love you but all you wanted were my brothers. Not Lost Girls allowed. Then you met Dahlia. You changed your mind. I didn't see it until I saw her." She looked over his shoulder right at Dahlia. "She means something to you, but you don't want to admit it in fear of losing everything you have strove so hard to achieve."

Wendy turned him around to face them. "Just go to her."

Something flashed across Peter's face. He nodded at Felix. The blond boy dropped her legs. She slid down his back and landed a little wobbly on her feet. She used his shoulder to regain her balance. Once she found it, she started towards him. A ghost of a smile went across his face. She didn't know what it meant but she was determined to ask him.

She looked over his shoulder. He had left people hurt and bleeding because he was greedy. He had bound her to him without her consent. She could overlook that if he hadn't cut Henry's hand. He needed his blood because he wanted to merge Neverland's magic with the magic in this world. She wanted to plead with him to stop this but he wouldn't. He wouldn't no matter what she said.

She was halfway to him. "Pan!" Gold walked up to him as Peter turned around. "This is for my son!"

"No!" Wendy and Dahlia screamed at the same time as Gold drove his dagger into Peter's back.

Pain burst along her back but she ran anyway. Fire raced through her veins as the poison spread. Peter dropped but in his wake was an older man. Gold looked as surprised as Peter. She slid along the asphalt as he tried to pull himself up.

"What did you do?" she asked as she sat beside him, hands fumbling along his chest looking for an exit wound.

"It's just a little trick. But you shouldn't have run. Look at your arm," he said as he pulled himself up.

"I don't care about my arm. Quit enticing people to harm you. You have the magic of Neverland. That's enough. Go home to your family, to your Lost Boys. Stop messing with people's lives."

A sharp bite, sharper than anything Loras had given her, settled in her chest. She looked down to find the poison had already spread. Peter looked down as well, shock and fear replacing the lost boy look. Frantically he ripped at the lacings of her vest. When it wouldn't come off, he cut it, her shirt as well. He closed his eyes when he realized how bad it was.

"F…F…Felix," he stuttered out. Instantly his friend and confidant and Henry were at his side. Once the boy had her, he turned. "You!" he spat at Gold. "You did this! If you had just left me alone, it would have been fine."

"You would have kept Henry," Emma said. "It wouldn't have been fine. I would have come after you as many times as it would take to find you. We would go through this again and again until I had my son back."

"Pan," Henry said. He turned around to look at the boy. "She's not going to make it."

"Pan, you have to save her," Hook said. "You might have thought that whatever she is would save her, but it's not. You have to take her back to Neverland and give her the cure. Don't let Dreamshade take another person. Don't let her die like my brother."

He was torn. Power was what he had always wanted. He had taken Henry to bring magic back to Neverland. He had used the boy to open a portal to this land. He had started fight after fight with these people to prove that he could be ten steps ahead of them at all times.

During all of that, Dahlia had argued, fought, ran, and tracked her way past all of his defenses. She had made sure he was thrown off kilter every time he had seen her. She had united the wolves of the island as she had tapped into her heritage. And she had been poisoned.

"Go to your family," he said to Henry.

Henry looked up from where he was twisting Dahlia's hair around his fist. "What about her?"

"I'll take care of her. Your family needs you." He reached down to lift the girl but she let out a strangled sound. He shifted her clothing. "She won't make it back to Neverland."

Dahlia opened her eyes and looked up at him. He watched her hand come up to his face. When it flattened against his cheek, he leaned into and brought his hand up to keep it there. The spark was still there. She smiled, but it was barely there.

"Little Lost Boy," she said. It was barely above a whisper. "You have tried so hard to make everyone believe that you were in control. But you've never been. You are the oldest but the most childish. You never realized when you lost your heart. But not to me. You lost it to Wendy."

He laughed, a ghost of one at least. "Wendy? You must be out of your mind."

"I see a lot more than you thought I would." She shifted enough to look at Felix. Even so it hurt and the veins around her heart blackened. "Protect him, Felix. He's still figuring it all out."

Felix brushed a stray hair away from her face. It was one of the gentlest things he had done. Then again, Dahlia had changed something in him as well. "I always have."

"No!" Henry cried when her breath stuttered out of her lungs. Emma was there instantly, surrounding him with her arms. "Dahlia, please. Just hang on. Pan, get her back to Neverland."

"She won't make it," he whispered.

"Aye, mate," Hook said as she kneeled down beside Emma. "She will if you just admit one thing."

Henry leaned over and whispered something to Dahlia. Her eyes opened and she stared at him. She nodded. He smiled and leaned forward to press a kiss on her temple. He looked at Peter with sadness and expectation. What did they want him to tell her?

"The Dreamshade is in her heart. She's not going to survive another five minutes if you don't do something," Gold said.

His heart twisted at those words. He nudged Felix aside and took up the place beside her head. While his number one Lost Boy held her hand, he took her face. He pressed his forehead to hers and sighed out a shaky breath.

"Don't leave me," he muttered for only her to hear. She had heard him because she shifted closer slightly. "I was an idiot. I didn't think anyone would attack me because I had bound you to me. No one would harm an innocent girl. But I should have known. I should have known my fortune wouldn't be so great."

He stopped talking and lifted his head. "Dahlia?" He laid his head on her chest. "No! Please!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Henry bury his face in Emma's shoulder.

Felix gripped his shoulder. "She's gone."

Peter shoved him away. "No!" He framed her face again. "Dahlia, please. You can't do this. Not now. Not when we've gone through so much." He hadn't experienced death before. Not really. This was a whole new feeling.

He summoned up as much courage as he could. "You can't leave me. Dahlia…" He swallowed hard and lowered his voice. "I love you."

Magic swept around him, making a whirlwind. His body was jerked backwards. Turning his head he noticed another portal had opened. He looked at Felix who nodded. So this was what would happen if he ever fell in love. He felt the magic of this world leaving him, Neverland magic pulling him home. Stilling his heart meant he was only secluded to Neverland. He would never again see another world. This was his fate.

He closed his eyes and let the portal take him wherever. He landed back in the waters of Skull Rock, Felix beside him. He got up as fast as he could and found himself back in camp with a mere thought. Everything was as he had left it. The boys were walking around, talking and fighting. They had a fire going. It was like nothing had ever happened.

But something had happened. He had met someone and he had fallen. Stilling his heart in Neverland had made sure that he would never leave even if he wanted to. His pipe could be heard around the world, especially now that magic was back in Neverland. He could feel it thrumming through his very veins. But it didn't matter.

He left Felix in the camp and went to his cove. Walking in had been a mistake. He took one look at the bear pelt draped across his bedroll and he sat down in the dirt. Dahlia was gone, taken away by Dreamshade. He had been so careless when it came to her. She had been here on accident but it had felt like home even more than it did before. Now it was worse. He was still beating himself up over not telling her what Dreamshade looked like.

He didn't know how long he sat there but a commotion drew him out. He walked into the camp to see what was going on. Loras and Rosie were sitting by the fire, tails straight out behind him and ears perked up. He kneeled down and rubbed the male's ears.

"Hey, Loras," he said. His mouth felt like he had shoved a hundred cotton balls down it. "Your master's gone. Dreamshade took her from us and it was all my fault."

"You shouldn't fill the wolves' heads with bull." He turned around slowly at the voice. Dahlia stood behind him with three wolves around her. "Hey."

He surged to his feet and caught her in his arms. He buried his hand in her hair as he pulled her against him. It felt too right. There was no way he was going to let go now.

He pulled away and looked her in the eyes. "How did you survive? Gold said the Dreamshade had gotten to your heart."

"It did, but I guess when you said what was in your heart, it had enough power to bring me back to Neverland," she replied. She lifted the sleeve of her shirt. "It'll be black for the rest of my life. I'm going to have some damage, but I'm alive."

"Yes, you are." And he kissed her. It took him a minute to let his mind catch up with his eyes. He stepped back. "How did you get back?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I woke up on Dead Man's Peak with water running down my chin. The pain in my chest eased and I could see straight. When I looked around, I knew I was in Neverland."

"She drank from the fountain," Felix said.

"You did this?" Peter asked. His friend inclined his head. "How?"

"You were in your cove for over five hours. I could easily make the trek and be back by the time you ventured out." He turned to Dahlia. "You can never leave Neverland now. That water you drank cures Dreamshade, but it won't allow the drinker to leave the island. If you do, you'll die for sure. I'm sure you can find something to preoccupy your time."

Dahlia smiled. "If it means fighting you, then I will have loads of fun." She walked away from them.

Peter watched as she went to her wolves. "For centuries I always thought loving someone was a weakness, that I would lose the magic of Neverland. It was all a ruse, wasn't it?"

"We can never know. Things always change. There's a possibility you may grow old but it might take time." Felix smiled. "I have a name for her."

"What? Lost Girl?"

"No, you gave that name to Emma. She's the Wild One." He looked the Pied Piper when he snorted out a laugh. "How's your heart?"

Peter tapped his chest and smiled. "Still beating."

They joined the rest group at the campfire. Neverland had its first girl, but she wasn't a lost one. No, far from it. She was the Wild One, the child of the prophecy. It was amazing how words could be skewed.


End file.
